HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Departments: Information and Communications Technology

Philip Hammond: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission whether the House has in place arrangements for the ethical disposal of surplus IT equipment.

Nick Harvey: The House of Commons uses a specialist commercial company for the disposal of all Members centrally provided and House of Commons Administration IT equipment.
	The company is used by a number of other Government agencies and all personnel with access to parliamentary equipment are security cleared.
	Equipment is securely cleaned of all data and data destruction certificates issued once this has been completed. Equipment is then evaluated as to its resale potential; where possible it is sold on to second level users with the original manufacturer's operating system and no other software. Proceeds from the sale of equipment are returned to Parliament. Equipment with no resale value is disposed of in line with the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) Directive. This involves breaking down the equipment into its base materials for reuse with only completely un-recyclable materials being sent to landfill.

Portcullis House

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what assessment has been made of environmental factors affecting thermal comfort as defined in British Standard BS EN ISO 7730 in Portcullis house; whether any survey has been made of thermal comfort of workers in Portcullis house; whether any workplace temperature risk assessment has been undertaken with regard to Portcullis house; what the maximum operating capacity of the air conditioning unit at Portcullis house is; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: I am well aware of this issue and know that there have been a number of complaints about temperature control in the building. The Serjeant at Arms has directed his staff to investigate and to take the appropriate remedial actions. He will write to the hon. Lady when the issues involved are clear.
	Parliamentary Works Services Directorate staff monitor the environmental conditions and systems in Portcullis house using the computerised building management system. As a result they are aware that since Easter the temperature has not been controlled as well as it should have been. An investigation of the cooling system has revealed a number of small faults. The majority of these have now been rectified and work is in hand to address the remainder as quickly as possible.
	I understand that no survey of the thermal comfort of workers in Portcullis house has been undertaken. Nor has a workplace temperature risk assessment been carried out.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Crime

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many responses his Department received to the consultation document Making Sure that Crime Doesn't Pay; which organisations responded; and if he will place copies of those representations in the Library.

Maria Eagle: The Northern Ireland Office received responses from:
	the Superintendents Association of Northern Ireland;
	the Periodical Publishers Association of Ireland; and
	the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.
	I have made arrangements for these to be placed in the Library.

Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 19 February 2007,  Official Report, column 565W, on the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency, when the copy of the presentation will be placed in the Library.

Peter Hain: This has now been placed in the Library.

WALES

Departments: Manpower

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of staff in his Department are  (a) male,  (b) female,  (c) registered disabled and  (d) aged 55 or over.

Peter Hain: The percentages for the staff of the Wales Office is as follows:
	 (a) 49 per cent. of the staff are male
	 (b) 51 per cent. of the staff are female
	 (c) 12 per cent. of staff are aged 55 or over
	The Wales Office has a small number of staff with disabilities. For privacy reasons the numbers are confidential, in line with guidance issued by the Cabinet Office, which states that Departments are not required to provide figures on the number of disabled staff where it is less than five in the department.

Departments: Pay

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many staff in his Department received bonus payments in 2006-07; what proportion of the total workforce they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid was; what the largest single payment was; and if he will make a statement.

Peter Hain: In the last financial year three members of staff have received bonuses, representing 5 per cent. of the workforce. All of the bonuses together came to £862.30 before tax, and the largest single payment was £362.30.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departments: Publications

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many publications produced by his Department and funded by the public purse have been  (a) provided at no cost and  (b) sold to the Labour Party or Parliamentary Labour Party Office in the last 12 months.

Gareth Thomas: Following are the publications produced by DFID that have been provided directly to the Parliamentary Labour Party Office in the last 12 months. All of these publications are available free of charge (and indeed copies have been requested by representatives of other parties).
	
		
			  Publication  Quantity 
			 G8 Gleneagles: One year on turning talk into action 500 
			 Eliminating World Poverty White Paper III popular version 840 
			 The World Classroom—Developing Global Partnerships 250 
		
	
	These figures are total figures for orders sent directly to the Parliamentary Labour Party Office through DFID's mailing house contractor in the last 12 months. These may not reflect the total number of publications sent out, as it is not possible to establish the number of publications posted by DFID staff in response to individual requests. DFID has not sent any publications to the Labour Party via its mailing house contractor in the last 12 months, and it is not possible to establish the number of publications posted by DFID staff in response to individual requests.
	Any publications produced in the last 12 months that have been priced are classified as Command, or House of Commons, papers. These publications are available to be purchased from The Stationery Office (TSO) under a Government-wide agreement. DFID would have no record of who had purchased these items via this route. DFID does not itself sell these publications.

Departments: Sick Leave

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what average number of days per year was taken by staff in his Department as sick leave in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Gareth Thomas: For the years 2001-05 (the latest for which figures are available) the average working days per employee lost to sick leave for DFID are:
	
		
			   Days 
			 2001 6.0 
			 2002 8.0 
			 2003 7.0 
			 2004 4.8 
			 2005 5.7

Departments: Sign Language

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the merits of providing British Sign Language (BSL) videos on his departmental website for the benefit of those whose first language is BSL.

Gareth Thomas: DFID does not currently have any video material on its website. An exercise is under way to assess the technical facilities and procedures needed to create and deliver video effectively, and the use of BSL videos will be considered as part of this work. DFID aims to make its website as accessible as possible, and an independent review of the site recently gave it a high rating for accessibility. The internal Intranet does include video material, and DFID has a policy that this material should have a written transcript, subtitles or a BSL interpreter.

Developing Countries: Energy

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department provided to developing countries for  (a) the development of industry to extract fossil fuels and  (b) the development of local renewable energy sources in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: Improved access to reliable affordable energy supplies and services is essential for the achievement of international development goals. In the energy sector, DFID engages primarily through our international partners and international financial institutions.
	DFID has been actively engaged with the EU Energy Initiative for Poverty Eradication and Sustainable Development (EUEI) since it was launched in 2002. We contribute to the Energy Sector Management Assistance Programme, which is managed by the World Bank on behalf of the donors. DFID is also working closely with the World Bank and regional development banks on the new Clean Energy Investment Framework. DFID is also currently developing a new £800 million Environmental Transformation Fund that will finance environmental projects, including clean energy. In 2007 DFID launched a five-year Energy Research Programme that will include the application of renewable energy, building on earlier DFID funded work on renewable energy technologies.
	DFID has not provided any bilateral funding to developing countries during the last five years for the development of industry to extract fossil fuels or for the development of local renewable energy sources.

Developing Countries: Fossil Fuels

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what analysis his Department has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated of the impact on the welfare of people in developing countries of fossil fuel extraction in those countries.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's primary involvement with fossil fuel extraction projects in developing countries is an indirect one, as a "shareholder" in multilateral financial institutions, such as the World Bank group and the Regional Development Banks, which invest in projects in this sector.
	However, DFID reviews how the effects of fossil fuels extraction are managed as part of a commitment to sustainable development and attainment of the Millennium Development Goals.
	DFID has supported non-governmental organisations in the analysis of the impacts of extractive industries, including fossil fuels. For example, work on the Democratic Republic of Congo looked at natural resource governance. DFID also takes note of the many studies about opportunities and effects of extractive industries, including work by Transparency International, the "Publish What You Pay" campaign and the Resource Endowment Study of the International Council on Mining and Metals.
	DFID was actively engaged in the Extractive Industries Review and the International Finance Corporation's review of its environmental and social safeguards policies and procedures. These safeguards are a key tool to ensure the prudent management of the exploitation of natural resources in developing countries. This includes the impact on welfare of people in those developing countries.
	DFID has provided support to countries wishing to implement the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI). This initiative supports improved governance in resource-rich countries through full publication of company payments and government revenues from oil, gas, and mining. EITI enables non-governmental organisations to participate in the process and work with government and companies to ensure that revenues from extractive industries are fully disclosed.

Developing Countries: Renewable Energy

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has for future aid allocations aimed at developing the use of local renewable energy in developing countries.

Gareth Thomas: DFID is committed to increasing access to reliable and affordable energy to reduce poverty and increase economic growth in developing countries. Renewable energy has an increasingly important role to play in helping developing countries make progress towards the Millennium Development Goals.
	In terms of future aid allocations, we expect deployment of clean energy investment to happen not through DFID's bilateral aid allocations, but through a big change in the way the multilateral agencies engage in the energy sector. We are encouraging the World Bank and regional development banks to give renewable energy greater attention.
	For example, the World Bank has scaled up its financial support for renewable energy and energy efficiency projects. In August 2006, it announced a rise to $680 million in commitments in the year to June 2006, an increase of 48 per cent. compared to the previous year. This figure excludes large hydropower projects and covers solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and small (less than 10 MW) hydropower technologies.
	We very much welcome this increased investment by the World Bank on clean energy. We now think that the bank needs to set out a high level of ambition for funds flowing through the Clean Energy Investment Framework over the coming years. At the recent spring meetings of the World Bank the UK called on the bank to set a range of new investment and outcome targets, including a higher target for renewable energy.
	As announced in the 2007 Budget Statement, a new £800 million Environmental Transformation Fund will finance environmental projects, including clean energy.
	DFID has supported the creation of a new €220 million EU African, Caribbean and Pacific Energy Facility, which will start funding projects this year from the European Development Fund. This facility aims to improve access to energy, especially in rural areas of Africa, and has encouraged viable renewable energy proposals.
	Finally, DFID is increasing research funding for the energy sector to reflect the growing interest in clean energy for development. This year DFID launched a new five year, £3.75 million energy research programme on renewable energy and is currently scoping areas for further work.

Overseas Aid: Climate Change

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what analysis he has undertaken of the impact of his Department's aid policies and programmes on climate change.

Gareth Thomas: The 2006 DFID White Paper recognises that climate change poses the most serious long-term threat to development and poverty reduction. We are working to implement our White Paper commitments on three main fronts: work for a global agreement, including helping developing countries prepare for international negotiations; assisting developing countries to adopt clean energy technologies; and helping developing countries adapt to the impacts of climate change.
	We assess how well these policies are being implemented through our standard organisational systems. For example, the Department's internal Development Committee regularly assesses how well the Department's policies are being rolled out.
	We are considering the changes that will be necessary to how we deliver programmes as a result of climate change. For example we are planning to have procedures in place by 2008 to identify and manage risks associated with climate variability. We have also committed to mainstreaming climate into DFID development activities in climate sensitive sectors, such as agriculture, water, health infrastructure and energy, by 2008, to help developing countries adopt low carbon energy and adapt.
	As part of our support to the Clean Energy Investment Framework, we have called for the World Bank and the other multilateral development banks to set out a set of specific targets to cover investments in areas such as renewables and energy efficiency. For example, last year the World Bank committed $860 million in these areas, but it needs to do more. The banks also need to look at their entire investment portfolios including lending for fossil fuels and help Governments make the right choices about their energy mix to underpin sustainable growth and poverty reduction. We expect this analysis to contribute to a better understanding of how to minimise the impact of development investments on carbon emissions.
	Our Evaluation Department is currently considering establishing a baseline of data on climate change related indicators to help us better measure the Department's contribution to helping developing countries mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Overseas Aid: Fossil Fuels

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department has provided to fossil fuel extraction projects through the World Bank and other international financial institutions in the last five years.

Hilary Benn: During the last five years the World Bank (International Development Association (IDA) and the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development) provided around $1.2 billion (£609 million) in financing for activities in fossil fuels. Around one-third of this is for policy work and mine closure programmes. Of the remaining two-thirds, around 80 per cent. is for investment in gas projects, including infrastructure investment such as storage and distribution. Loans for fossil fuel extraction from the Asian Development Bank and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development amounted to $350 million (£178 million) and €768 million (£518 million) respectively. The International Monetary Fund, the African Development Bank, the Inter-American Bank and the Caribbean Development Bank did not fund any fossil fuel extraction projects during this period.
	In financial years 2001-02 to 2005-06 the UK provided £2.42 billion for the World Bank's IDA, the African Development Fund (ADF) of the African Development Bank, the Asian Development Fund (AsDF), the Caribbean Development Bank Special Fund, the IMF, Regional Development Bank Capital Subscriptions including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), and other IFI programmes. Details can be found in DFID's Annual Report 2007, copies of which are in the Library of the House.
	Contributions from the UK and other shareholders are one source of finance drawn upon by the international financial institutions to provide loans and grants to developing countries. The banks also draw on other sources such as repayments and investment earnings. Lending on more commercial terms—to more developed countries—is usually financed from the banks' own resources. Assistance to poorer countries, on much more concessional terms, is financed by a combination of the banks' and donor resources. Therefore it is not possible to say what proportion of the UK's contributions was spent on fossil fuel extraction projects.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Project Al Yamamah

Nick Harvey: To ask the Solicitor-General what advice  (a) his Department and  (b) other Departments gave the Director of the Serious Fraud Office with regard to his investigation into the Al Yamamah deal with Saudi Arabia; and when the advice was given.

Mike O'Brien: I refer to my previous explanations of the views which were conveyed to the Director of the Serious Fraud Office about the national security implications of the investigation, 14 December 2006,  Official Report, column 1120; 7 February 2007,  Official Report, columns 875-76.

SCOTLAND

Departments: Manpower

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many officials work in his Department.

David Cairns: The number of staff in the Scotland Office is published in the Office's Annual Report for 2007, a copy of which is in the House Library.

Departments: Official Cars

Si�n Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what make and model of car  (a) he and  (b) each Minister in his Department selected as their official ministerial car; and what criteria were used when making the decision in each case.

David Cairns: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Transport on 14 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1269W.

Departments: Pay

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was paid in bonuses to his Department's staff in  (a) 2006 and  (b) 2007.

David Cairns: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to my right hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Keith Vaz) on 19 December 2006,  Official Report, column 1765W and to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Carmichael) on 13 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1048W.

Departments: Renewable Energy

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much energy in kilowatt hours was purchased by his Department from renewable sources in the most recent year for which figures are available.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office subscribes to the sustainable development policies adopted by the Ministry of Justice.
	The Scotland Office is included in the Ministry of Justice's annual returns on total energy usage across the Ministry's estate.

Departments: Renewable Energy

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his strategy is for renewable energy and meeting energy targets in departmental buildings; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office subscribes to the sustainable development policies adopted by the Ministry of Justice.

Elections

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether any manual counts took place during the Scottish  (a) parliamentary and  (b) local election areas which used electronic counting to verify the accuracy of the counting machines.

David Cairns: It is for individual Returning Officers to decide on the conduct of the count. All 32 Returning Officers chose to conduct the count electronically and are confident of the accuracy of the result.

Oil: Natural Gas

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent discussions he has had with the First Minister on the fiscal regime for the UK oil and gas sector.

David Cairns: The fiscal regime for the UK oil and gas sector is a reserved matter. The Government are committed to realising the full potential of our oil and gas reserves. This is why this year's budget confirmed that we would provide stability in the North sea fiscal regimeas requested by the industryincluding retaining generous capital allowances and a continuing engagement with the industry to consider a future fiscal regime for the North sea.

Olympic Games: Greater London

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment the Government has made of the likely impact on  (a) Scotland's infrastructure and  (b) the Scottish economy of the relocation of (i) plumbers, joiners, electricians and related professionals and (ii) architects and associated building professionals to London and the South-East of England to service the Olympic building programme and associated developments.

David Cairns: The construction of the Olympic park and venues present huge opportunities for Scottish businesses. The flexibility within the UK labour market, that is a benefit of Union, has contributed substantially to the record levels of employment Scotland currently enjoys.

PRIME MINISTER

Departments: Sign Language

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of providing British Sign Language (BSL) videos on the Downing Street website for the benefit of those whose first language is BSL.

Tony Blair: Although British Sign Language is not used on the Number 10 website, my Office is committed to providing a website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, including those who have hearing impairments. For example, the website provides transcripts and captions for audio and audio-visual material.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Carbon Sequestration: Research

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what funding is available for research on carbon capture and storage technology.

Malcolm Wicks: DTI supports research and development for carbon capture and storage (CCS) through the Technology Programme. During 2005-06 some 3.5 million was set aside for Carbon Abatement Technologies of which 2.3 million has been allocated to CCS. This funding will continue through 2007 at which stage the new arrangements for the Technology Strategy Board and Energy Technologies Institute will be introduced.
	Additionally 35 million has also been allocated for the demonstration of components for CCS technologies. To date some 1.4 million of those funds has been set aside for one project.
	Funding is also made available by the Research Councils. The following table outlines their expenditure on CCS research to date:
	
		
			
			 2000-01 23,000 
			 2001-02 42,000 
			 2002-03 78,000 
			 2003-04 30,000 
			 2004-05 966,000 
			 2005-06 1,072,000

Cotonou Agreement

Andy Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made by his Department on compliance with the Cotonou Agreement by the EU in its negotiations of economic partnership agreements; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The DTI and the Department for International Development work closely together on issues relating to the Cotonou Agreement, in particular on economic partnership agreements.
	Article 37.4 of the Cotonou Agreement states that the parties should carry out a formal comprehensive review in 2006. The UK was active in ensuring that the ACP had full participation in the review. All six EPA regions completed their reviews by April this year and these were endorsed by the EU-ACP Council of Ministers on 25 May 2007.

Departments: Remploy

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what  (a) services and  (b) products his Department has procured from Remploy in the last 12 months; and at what cost.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Central records indicate that the Department has procured no services or products from Remploy in the last 12 months.

Domestic Wastes

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what advice the Chief Scientific Adviser has provided in relation to the collection of household rubbish.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government's Chief Scientific Advisor, Sir David King, has not provided specific advice in relation to the collection of household rubbish. Lead responsibility for assuring the quality of scientific evidence within individual Departments lies with the Chief Scientific Advisors appointed by those Departments.

Estate Agents: Complaints

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 23 April 2007,  Official Report, column 946W, on estate agents: complaints, how many of the 210 complaints about the conduct of estate agents received by the Office of Fair Trading in 2006 were referrals from the Ombudsman for Estate Agents.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 15 June 2007
	None of the complaints received by the Office of Fair Trading in 2006 were referrals from the Ombudsman for Estate Agents.

Estate Agents: Fees and Charges

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research has been carried out  (a) by and  (b) on behalf of his Department into average fees charged by estate agents since the 2004 Office of Fair Trading report into the estate agency market.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 15 June 2007
	The Department has not carried out, or commissioned on its behalf, any research into average fees charged by estate agents since 2004.
	The Office of Fair Trading has a general duty to keep under review the estate agency market including commercial developments relating to the carrying on of estate agency work, and the working and enforcement of the Estate Agents Act 1979.
	The Office of Fair Trading is also responsible under UK competition legislation for monitoring markets and investigating allegations of anti-competitive behaviour.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims by former miners or their families have yet to be settled in respect of compensation for  (a) chronic bronchitis, emphysema or other respiratory diseases,  (b) vibration white finger,  (c) carpal tunnel syndrome and  (d) pneumoconiosis in (i) Stoke-on-Trent Central, (ii) Stoke-on-Trent North, (iii) Stoke-on-Trent South, (iv) Stone and (v) Stafford constituencies; and how many claimants in each category have received interim payments.

Malcolm Wicks: pursuant to the reply, 12 June, Official Report, c. 906W
	 The entry on the table under VWF claims: Families who received interim payment in the Stoke-on-Trent Central constituency should read 13 and not 11. The total outstanding (miners) for Stoke-on-Trent North constituency should read 45 and not 47. Families who have received an interim payment in the Stone constituency should read 6 and not 4.
	The entry on the table under Carpal Tunnel Syndrome claims: Families who have received an interim payment in the Stroke-on-Trent Central constituency should be 2 and not 4. Families who have received interim payment in the Stone constituency should read 1 and not 3.

Intellectual Property Review

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what plans he has to implement Recommendation 39 of the Gowers Review of Intellectual Property;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure that internet service providers and copyright holders are observing protocols to remove and disbar internet users engaged in online copyright theft; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  what progress is being made in ensuring that internet service providers accept their responsibility to tackle online copyright theft; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Industry associations representing the interests of internet service providers and copyright holders are actively discussing developments of a voluntary protocol to address misuse of content and copyright theft. Discussions are proceeding well and we would anticipate agreement in autumn to forestall the need for Government intervention.

Minimum Wage: Young People

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Low Pay Commission has undertaken research into the effect of a minimum wage for those under the age of 16 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 18 June 2007
	The Low Pay Commission has not been asked to undertake research in this area.

Minimum Wage: Young People

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will consider introducing a minimum wage for those under the age of 16 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: holding answer 18 June 2007
	The Government have no plans to introduce a minimum wage for those under the age of 16.

Overseas Trade: Russia

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the UK's trade with Russia was conducted with the province of Kaliningrad in each year since 1997.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 18 June 2007
	 The statistics are not available. HM Customs and Excise do not record trade with individual Russian provinces (or regional data for any other country).

Packaging

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many prosecutions were made by local authority trading standards departments for over-packaging in each year since 2000.

Malcolm Wicks: There were two successful prosecutions made by trading standards departments in 2000, followed by a further one in 2004 and another in 2006.

Tidal Power

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the proportion of UK energy supply which tidal power  (a) could theoretically provide and  (b) is expected by his Department to provide in the next decade.

Malcolm Wicks: The tidal energy resource can be split into two categories: tidal currentthe extraction of kinetic energy from fast moving tidal currents, and tidal rangethe extraction of potential energy release from water at high level relative to low level.
	The UK tidal energy programme that ran between 1978 and 1994 estimated the total resource available in the UK, for tidal range energy generation from reasonably exploitable estuaries with a mean tidal range of 3 metres or more, at around 50 tera
	watt hours per year (around 15 per cent. of current UK demand). Nearly all of this potential resource is in England and Wales, with 90 per cent. located in eight large estuariesthe Severn, the Dee, the Mersey, Morecambe Bay, Solway Firth, the Humber, the Wash and the Thames. The remaining 10 per cent. is in 30-40 smaller estuaries.
	A study undertaken in 2005(1) estimated the tidal-current resource at approximately 16 tera watt hours per year (around 5 per cent. of current UK demand).
	(1 )Black and Veatch (2005). Tidal StreamPhase II UK Tidal Stream Energy Resource Assessment. A report to the Carbon Trust's Marine Energy
	The Department has also carried out a study called ATLAS(2) that looks at the marine resource around the UK, including tidal power. A copy of the study can be found online at
	http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/sources/renewables/renewables-explained/wind-energy/page27403.html
	(2) ABPmer, The Met Office, Garrard Hassan and Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory (2004). Atlas of UK Marine Renewable Energy Resources:
	Technical report. A report to the Department of Trade and Industry.
	The Department has not assessed the proportion of UK energy supply that tidal power could be expected to provide in the next decade.

Trade Unions

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what mechanisms the Certification Office has in place to monitor whether trade unions affiliate more members to the Labour Party than contribute to their union's political fund.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Some unions with political funds do not affiliate to any political party. In the case of those unions that affiliate to a political party, the affiliation arrangements are matters for the unions and political parties to decide in accordance with their rules and constitutions. The Certification Officer therefore has no specific powers to monitor the number of members that trade unions affiliate to political parties.

Unfair Commercial Practices Directive

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what progress has been made in implementing the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive;
	(2)  when he plans to introduce regulations to implement the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 11 June 2007
	 On 29 May I published a consultation paper seeking views on draft Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations to implement the Unfair Commercial Practices Directive. On the same day the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) published a consultation on joint OFT/DTI draft guidance to accompany the regulations. The deadline for responses to both consultations is 21 August. The regulations will be made in the autumn to come into force on 6 April 2008. The guidance will be finalised at the end of this year or in early 2008.

Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether his Department has any plans to update the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977.

Ian McCartney: holding answer 11 June 2007
	 The Government asked the Law Commission and the Scottish Law Commission to consider the case for a unified regime for unfair terms in consumer contracts, bringing together the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977 and the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999. The Commissions reported in February 2005 in favour of a unified regime, and provided a draft Bill. The Government have accepted in principle the recommendations of the Commissions, subject to further consideration of the detail of the issues, and to further work to identify potential cost impacts.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Arms to Sierra Leone Inquiry

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost was of the 1998 inquiry into the arms to Sierra Leone affair.

Ian McCartney: According to the published report, the inquiry undertaken by Sir Thomas Legg and Sir Robin Ibbs took 68 days and its direct costs amounted to approximately 112,500.

Departments: Advertising

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much was spent on advertising by  (a) her Department and  (b) its agencies in each of the last five years.

Geoff Hoon: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advertises in different media for a number of varied reasons. The main expenditure is on recruitment advertising for generalist and specialist staff in the FCO and FCO Services (an executive agency of the FCO since 1 April 2006). In the last five financial years the following totals have been spent on recruitment advertising:
	
		
			
			 2002-03 456,504 
			 2003-04 381,683 
			 2004-05 493,324 
			 2005-06 547,514 
			 2006-07 460,359 
		
	
	Other FCO departments may also place advertisements on an ad hoc basis, as will the FCO's agency (Wilton Park), and its posts overseas. Details of this expenditure are not held centrally and could be collated only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Manpower

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of staff in her Department are  (a) male,  (b) female,  (c) registered disabled and  (d) aged 55 or over.

Geoff Hoon: The figures requested for Foreign and Commonwealth Office staff are:
	
		
			  Staff  Percentage 
			 Male 57.5 
			 Female: 42.5 
			 Disabled(1) 4.3 
			 Aged 55 or over 11.2 
			 (1 )Staff are not obliged to declare whether they have a disability nor what it may be. This number represents those who have told us that they are disabled. 
		
	
	We are committed to ensuring that our UK workforce reflects fully the diversity of modern Britain.
	We were also one of the few Departments to decide in 2006 to dispense with mandatory retirement ages for staff below the Senior Management Structure.

Departments: Recruitment

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many recruits to her Department were graduates of Oxford or Cambridge university in each year since 1995.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 14 June 2007
	The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not hold educational details on all staff centrally, and the full information could be collated only at disproportionate cost. Some details are available from 1997 for the FCO fast stream, administered by the Cabinet Office, and for the FCO operational stream from 1997-2000 and 2006. 2007 data are not yet available, as the final list of FCO fast stream and operational appointments has not yet been made.
	
		
			  Oxbridge appointments to the fast stream since 1997 
			   Percentage of intake from Oxbridge  Number of appointments from Oxbridge 
			 1997 48  
			 1998 65  
			 1999 44  
			 2000 57 20 
			 2001 61 13 
			 2002 47 17 
			 2003 51 18 
			 2004 40 10 
			 2005 44 8 
			 2006 50 13 
		
	
	
		
			  Oxbridge appointments to the operational stream since 1997 
			   Percentage of intake from Oxbridge  Number of appointments from Oxbridge 
			 1997 6  
			 1998 7  
			 1999 4  
			 2000 4  
			 2001   
			 2002   
			 2003   
			 2004   
			 2005   
			 2006 8 6 
		
	
	Our recruitment processes are run on the principle of fair and open competition, as laid down in the Civil Service Commissioners' Recruitment Code (www.civilservicecommissioners.gov.uk). The minimum education requirement to apply at fast stream is a lower-second class degree in any subject. To apply at operational stream the minimum education requirement is a degree or 2 A-levels with GCSE Mathematics and English Language (grade A* - C) or five GCSEs including Mathematics and English Language (grade A* - C).
	Our work experience schemes for undergraduates in 2006 offered placements to students from 18 different universities. The FCO is also active in outreach activities, such as careers fairs and community business events throughout the UK. Through this, the FCO aims to recruit a talented and diverse work force that reflects the society we serve.

Departments: Sick Leave

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what average number of days per year was taken by staff in her Department as sick leave in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Geoff Hoon: The average number of days recorded as sick leave absences by staff of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for each of the past five calendar years is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2002 4.93 
			 2003 5.66 
			 2004 6.17 
			 2005 5.62 
			 2006 5.14 
		
	
	These figures, particularly for the early years, may contain a level of under-reporting. They rely on staff and their managers entering absences accurately on our electronic management information system. We have recently revised our sickness absence procedures to improve the accuracy of our records and to reduce the number of days lost to sickness absence. Subject to agreement with our trade unions, we plan to implement the new procedures in September.

Developing Countries: Drugs

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received following the meeting between the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and senior officials from Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan; and what steps the UK is taking to increase participation between these partners to stop drug trafficking along their common borders.

Kim Howells: We await the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) report following the meeting between the UNODC and senior officials from Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan which took place on 12 June.
	The UK is keen to encourage increased participation between these partners to stop drug trafficking along their common borders. We encourage regional co-operation between Afghanistan and her neighbours as part of our commitment to supporting the Government of Afghanistan to deliver their National Drugs Control Strategy. This is undertaken through either bilateral or multilateral mechanisms through UNODC. Bilaterally, our missions in Islamabad, Tehran and Kabul help to facilitate better working level contacts and information sharing between these countries to take forward regional practical assistance, including improved border control. We also provide support to the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics Good Neighbourly Relations Declaration meetings to encourage Afghanistan's neighbours to engage in the drugs process. We support UN capacity building projects which foster greater links between regional law enforcement agencies to exchange information on drug trafficking and strengthen Afghanistan's borders.

Iran: Bahai Sect

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has made to the Iranian government on the treatment of the Bah' community in that country.

Kim Howells: We continue to have concerns about the situation of religious minorities in Iran and treatment of the Bah' community in particular. We often receive reports of discrimination against Bah's in Iran.
	We most recently addressed the situation of the Bah's in our dialogue with the Iranian authorities on 25 May, through an EU Statement. We will continue to raise this issue bilaterally and through the EU.
	We have pressed the Iranian authorities on many occasions to take seriously their international human rights obligations, uphold the right to freedom of religion and belief as described in article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and address the intimidation and discrimination suffered by Iranian Bah's. We also take action at the UN, and in December 2006, we along with all EU countries co-sponsored a resolution on human rights in Iran, which expressed serious concern at:
	the escalation and increased frequency of discrimination and other human rights violations against members of the Bah' Faith.

Nepal: Human Rights

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support the UK is making available to assist the second phase of monitoring Maoist army personnel in Nepal to ensure that no child soldiers are serving.

Kim Howells: Under the Comprehensive Peace Agreement signed in Nepal in November 2006, both sides to the conflict have agreed not to include or use children under 18 years of age in the armed forces. The Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) have agreed that any children in the cantonment camps who are identified under phase II of the UN monitoring process will be removed to the care of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and partner agencies to arrange their return home and reintegration into civilian life.
	Through the Global Conflict Prevention Pool, the UK has recently provided 150,000 to support UNICEF's programme for the reintegration and rehabilitation of child soldiers. In addition, we have provided funding and technical expertise to help with the arms verification process.

Pakistan: Human Rights

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on the freedom from government intrusion of  (a) the press,  (b) internet access and  (c) telecommunications in Pakistan.

Kim Howells: On 4 June, the Government of Pakistan introduced an ordinance giving the state regulatory media body, Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, enhanced powers to confiscate equipment and revoke licences of media organisations without recourse to a complaints council. However, on 7 June, the Government of Pakistan withdrew these media restrictions pending a review. We welcome the decision to suspend the ordinance as the UK views media freedom as essential to economic and social development and stability, and we actively support the evolution of free and fair media in Pakistan. We have received no reports of government intrusion into internet access or telecommunications in Pakistan.

Palestinians

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the United Kingdom's 1945 Emergency Regulations for Palestine were annulled.

Kim Howells: We have found no record of annulment or revocation by the United Kingdom of the Defence (Emergency) Regulations 1945 made by the then Government of Palestine.

Rendition

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what undertakings have been  (a) sought and  (b) received from the US Administration since January 2001 that the US Administration has not rendered any detainee through UK territory or airspace since May 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We are clear that the US would not render a detainee through UK territory or airspace without our permission. In an interview covering these issues alongside my right hon. Friend the then Foreign Secretary (Mr. Straw) in March 2006 the US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, said
	the United States respects the sovereignty of our allies and of other countries in the international system.
	We have also carried out extensive searches of official records and have found no evidence of detainees being rendered through the UK or overseas territories since 1997 where there were substantial grounds to believe there was a real risk of torture.
	There were four cases in 1998 where the US requested permission to render one or more detainees through the UK or overseas territories. Records show the Government refused the US request in two cases and granted the request in the two others. In both these cases, the detainees were subsequently tried and later prosecuted on criminal charges in the US.

Saudi Arabia: Terrorism

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the risks to UK citizens from Al-Qaeda terrorists in Saudi Arabia; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) provides the British public with an assessment of the safety of travellers and expatriates overseas through its travel advice.
	All of our travel advice is regularly reviewed and draws on a variety of sources, including the local knowledge and expertise of the FCO's overseas posts and intelligence sources.
	We believe there is a continuing high threat of terrorism in Saudi Arabia and that terrorists are planning further attacks, including against westerners.
	The travel advice for Saudi Arabia can be found on the FCO website at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket%2FXcelerate%2FShowPagec==Pagecid=1007029390590a=KCountryAdviceaid=1013618387135.

Saudia Arabia: Arms Trade

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have received from  (a) the government of Saudi Arabia and  (b) its representatives on the Serious Fraud Office inquiry into defence sales to Saudi Arabia; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Government are in frequent and regular contact with the government of Saudi Arabia as part of the normal conduct of our close bilateral relationship across a wide range of issues of mutual concern.

Somalia: Politics and Government

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the assurances of the Transitional Federal Government that a planned Reconciliation Congress in Somalia will be fully inclusive, regardless of clan loyalty.

Ian McCartney: Lasting security in Somalia will only be possible with a credible political reconciliation process. We believe that the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) is the only body that can bring stability across Somalia, as envisaged by the Transitional Federal Charter. But we strongly believe it must be more inclusive and develop a broad base of clan acceptance if it is to succeed. Therefore, we have repeatedly stressed to the TFG that it should reach out to all Somalis who reject violence, regardless of clan and that the National Reconciliation Congress, now scheduled to start in mid July, represents an excellent opportunity to do this. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, made this point in person to President Yusuf when he visited the UK in February and to the Somali Foreign Minister on 7 June. The meeting of the International Contact Group in London on 6 June sent the same strong message to the TFG through the Somali Foreign Minister. We will continue to work for this.

Somalia: Politics and Government

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps she is taking to further a cessation of violence by fundamentalist Islamic militias loyal to the Union of Islamic Courts in Somalia; and what discussions the UK has held with the International Contact Group on the establishment of peace and stable government in Somalia.

Ian McCartney: We do not believe the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) still exists as a coherent political entity. A meeting of the International Contact Group (ICG), hosted by the Government in London on 5 and 6 June, strongly condemned actions of extremists and terrorists and those looking to undermine the political and reconciliation process. The ICG called on the international community to do everything it could to prevent further acts of violence. We fully support these views.
	At the same time, the ICG has publicly stressed the need for the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to do all it can to make the National Reconciliation Congress as inclusive as possible so that there will be a broad clan-based acceptance of the TFG. We believe that this offers the best long-term way to increase political participation and stable government, as well as to reduce the scope for violence.

Sri Lanka: Internally Displaced Persons

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received of the movement of Tamils from the city of Colombo by the Sri Lankan Government; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: On 7 June, the Sri Lankan Government removed between three and four hundred people from boarding houses and lodges in a mainly Tamil area of Colombo and transferred them to majority Tamil areas of the north and east of the country.
	We supported an EU statement which condemned their forced eviction and called on the Sri Lankan Government to halt this activity and to take action to safeguard the rights of those already removed.
	We welcomed the apology offered by the Sri Lankan Prime Minister for the evictions.

Sri Lanka: Internally Displaced Persons

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has received on the forced relocation of people in Sri Lanka.

Kim Howells: Although we receive frequent representations on the conflict in Sri Lanka and on the peace process there, we have not so far received any specific representations on this issue.

Sudan: Armed Conflict

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government is taking to encourage China, India and Malaysia to ensure that their activities and influences in the region are conducive to alleviating the conflict in Darfur.

Ian McCartney: We regularly discuss Darfur with the Chinese Government including at the UN. We want China to use its influence with the Sudanese Government to ensure Khartoum supports the deployment of joint UN peacekeeping forces in Darfur, as well as committing to a ceasefire and renewed political process. We gave this message to the Chinese Government before President Hu's visit to Africa earlier this year. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised Sudan with the Chinese Government during her trip there last month, as did my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister during his visit to China in April. We have also raised our concerns about Sudan directly with the Malaysians and Indians and pressed them to use their influence with Khartoum to get them to co-operate.

WMD Intelligence Review Committee

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost was of the Butler Inquiry.

Hilary Armstrong: I have been asked to reply.
	I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given in the other place to the noble Lord Palmer on 27 October 2004, House of Lords,  Official Report, column WA125, by my right hon. Friend the Lord President of the Council (Baroness Amos).

TRANSPORT

Eddington Transport Study

John Barrett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to take forward the recommendations of the Eddington Transport Study; and if he will make a statement.

Douglas Alexander: The Government set out in the December 2006 pre-Budget report how we intend to take forward the recommendations of the Eddington Study. My Department is now reviewing its strategy and delivery processes in the light of the key conclusions of both the Eddington and Stern reportsincluding through the recently announced refresh of our appraisal framework. The Department will provide its detailed response to Eddington and Stern alongside the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Canals

Michael Fabricant: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's policy is on the use of canals as a part of an integrated transportation system; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: It is Government policy to encourage the greater use of the inland waterways for carrying freight, where this is practical and economic. Passenger transport on canals is dominated by the leisure industry.

Road Safety Targets

Meg Hillier: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made towards meeting 2010 road safety targets.

Stephen Ladyman: Provisional statistics for 2006, compared with the 1994 to 1998 averages, indicate that the number of people killed or seriously injured was 34 per cent. below the baseline, the number of children killed or seriously injured was 53 per cent. below the baseline and the slight casualty rate was 26 per cent. below the baseline.

Bus Services

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to give local authorities a greater role in planning bus services.

Gillian Merron: The draft Local Transport Bill proposes changes to enable local authorities to secure better local bus services. It sets out measures to promote more effective partnership working between local authorities and bus operators and makes the implementation of quality contracts schemes a realistic option in areas where it is in the public interest for local authorities to take greater control of bus services.

Bus Services

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to improve the quality of bus services.

Gillian Merron: Last month the Government published a draft Local Transport Bill for consultation. This includes proposals to provide the necessary powers for local authorities to improve bus services as set out in Putting Passengers First.

Trams: Nottingham

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress is being made on approving the next tram line in Nottingham.

Tom Harris: In October 2006 the Secretary of State announced that he was granting programme entry, for funding purposes, to Phase 2 of the system. In April 2007, Nottinghamshire county council and Nottingham city council applied for the Transport and Works Act powers required to construct and operate the system. I cannot comment on the merits of that application, in order not to prejudice the Secretary of State's fair and impartial consideration of it.

Foreign Registered Aircraft

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the timetable is for the Civil Aviation Authority's consultation on the application of UK regulatory requirements to foreign registered aircraft based in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The Civil Aviation Authority is not conducting a consultation on the treatment of foreign registered aircraft based permanently in the UK. However, the Department completed a consultation in 2005 and the Government response is available on the Department's website.

Trains: Overcrowding

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on levels of rail overcrowding.

Tom Harris: We will continue to increase capacity through the franchising process and in other ways. In particular, the Secretary of State announced on 14 March that the High Level Output Specification, to be published in July, will include a commitment to a thousand extra carriages. They will be targeted at the most congested routes on the network.

Rail Services

Daniel Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what measures his Department is putting in place to increase the number of passenger journeys on branch lines of the rail network.

Tom Harris: The Government are implementing the Community Rail Development Strategy which is intended to increase the number of passengers using branch lines and other rural and suburban routes.

Car Usage

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress has been made in reducing travel by motor car since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: Between 1996-98 (combined years) and 2005, the average number of trips and the average distance travelled per person per year as a car driver has remained stable at around 435 trips and 3,700 miles respectively. However, because the population of Great Britain has increased by 3 per cent. over this period, overall there has been an increase in car travel.

Vehicle Emissions

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress in lowering the average level of emissions per vehicle.

Stephen Ladyman: Voluntary agreements are currently in place requiring the car industry to reduce carbon dioxide emissions of new cars by around 25 per cent. from 1995 levels (to an average of 140 grammes per kilometre by 2008-09). However, these agreements are unlikely to be met - the 2004 average for the EU was 163g/km. The Commission is now proposing mandatory new car CO2 targets and the UK supports this approach.

Nottingham Express Transit Tramway

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the total cost has been so far of the Nottingham Express transit tramway; what the estimated cost is of the proposed extension to Chilwell and Clifton; how many properties, including dwelling houses, are expected to have to be demolished to make way for the extension; and what the expected cost is thereof.

Tom Harris: The total cost of building Nottingham Express Transit (NET) Line 1 was 200 million.
	Up to the end of the 2006-07 financial year approximately 10 million has been spent on developing NET Phase Two. The approved scheme cost for Phase Two is 482 million (2005 present value prices).
	It is possible that approximately 80 properties may be demolished by the NET Phase Two proposals, although this remains subject to detailed design. Overall land costs, which would include these properties, is estimated at approximately 37 million. The promoters of the system have stated that detailed property values are commercially sensitive at present.

A120: Essex

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he is in a position to provide updated information on the preferred route of the A120 Braintree to Marks Tey improvement; and what exhibitions and presentations are planned to be provided to explain how the decision was made.

Stephen Ladyman: A public consultation on options for dualling the A120 between Braintree and Marks Tey ended on 17 June 2005, and resulted in a number of additional routes being suggested by respondents. The Highways Agency has been carrying out further work on these proposals, which should be complete this summer. Once I have received that advice I will be in a position to consider the way forward and how those affected should be informed.

A21: Baldslow

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  if he will take steps to ensure that the implementation of the Baudslow link improvement on the A21 will be accelerated;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the delivery of the Baldslow link improvement on the A21; and whether it will be brought forward to be delivered in parallel with the Bexhill to Hastings link road;
	(3)  when he expects the Baldslow link improvement to be delivered; and whether funding has been allocated for its construction.

Stephen Ladyman: The A21 Baldslow Link trunk road improvement is being promoted by the Highways Agency and is a complementary scheme to the Bexhill - Hastings Link Road which is being promoted by East Sussex county council. The Baldslow Link has been prioritised by the south east region for funding from the Regional Funding Allocation with a start of works in 2010-11. It is currently intended that the Baldslow Link would start construction at about the time the Bexhill Hastings Link Road opens to traffic. While planning of the scheme is currently on time, the Highways Agency will seek to improve on this.

Aviation: Exhaust Emissions

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if his Department will commission research and development into minimising  (a) carbon dioxide emissions and  (b) general environmental impacts caused by commercial aircraft engines.

Gillian Merron: Government are committed to ensuring that effective policy development and environmental action relies upon sound research, evidence and knowledge transfer. This is why we are investing in initiatives such as the new knowledge transfer network called OMEGA (Opportunities for Meeting the Environmental Challenge of Growth in Aviation). OMEGA defines specific areas where work is needed, facilitates inter-disciplinary research and supports strategic longer-term thinking. A number of other collaborative research programmes funded through the DTI collaborative research mechanism are set to deliver improvements. These include the 95 million Environmentally Friendly Engine programme. I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Industry and the Regions on 18 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1492W.
	Government are also supporting work from the aviation industry. We welcomed the Sustainable Aviation initiative, launched in June 2005, which aimed to place sustainability at the forefront of the sector's strategic planning. The Government also welcomed the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE), which adopted stretching European targets for environmental performance of new aircraft and engines by 2020. These include reducing the fuel consumption and hence carbon emissions by 50 per cent., relative to new aircraft in the year 2000, with 20-25 per cent. savings from airframe developments, 15-20 per cent. from the engines and 5-10 per cent. from improved air traffic management.
	On an international level the UK is playing an important role and is contributing to a number of work streams in the Committee for Aviation Environmental Protection under the auspices of the UN's International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
	The Government intend that the initiatives such as those mentioned above will improve our evidence base on aviation science, technology, operations and economic issues in ways that will help deliver improved environmental performance and longer term sustainability.

Aviation: Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many near misses were recorded over Northern Ireland airspace in the last 12 months; and how many related to flights into or out of (a) Belfast International,  (b) Belfast City and  (c) Londonderry airports.

Gillian Merron: During the period from 1 June 2006 to 31 May 2007, three Airprox incidents in airspace over Northern Ireland were reported to the independent UK Airprox Board (UKAB) for investigation and assessment.
	One of these Airprox is reported to have involved one aircraft operating into Belfast International airport, the other aircraft being outbound from Belfast City airport. This Airprox remains subject to assessment by the UKAB following which the findings will be published both on the UKAB's website at www.airproxboard.org.uk and subsequently in hardcopy.

Aviation: Security

David Wilshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what Government policy is on the adoption of harmonised aviation security regulations across Europe as defined in EC Regulation 2320/2002.

Gillian Merron: The UK was a strong advocate of the establishment of baseline security requirements across the European Union, and supports the principle of harmonisation for the benefits it can bring for travellers and industry. It is important however that member states are able to require additional aviation security measures in their own territory, where they judge this necessary for the proper protection of aviation interests and passengers.

Aviation: Security

Brian H Donohoe: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  when he next plans to assess the basis for the restrictions on the number of pieces of carry-on luggage allowed for passengers departing from UK airports;
	(2)  when he last assessed the basis for the restrictions on the number of pieces of carry-on luggage allowed for passengers departing UK airports;
	(3)  when he expects the restrictions on the number of pieces of hand luggage for airline passengers to be amended or removed.

Gillian Merron: The current security regulations remain under constant review. It is not possible to state when further adjustments might be made to the measures that apply to cabin baggage. However we have made clear throughout our readiness to remove the one bag limit once industrycollectivelyis confident of its ability to deliver security effectively without it.

Blue Badge Scheme: Misuse

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the level of abuse of the blue badge scheme, with particular reference to  (a) the incidence of theft of blue badges,  (b) misuse by people not entitled to have blue badges and  (c) misuse by family members when the badge holder is not present.

Gillian Merron: The Department for Transport is working with the Home Office and local agencies to improve data collection and promote good practice in this area.
	The Department is committed to tackling all Blue Badge misuse as signalled by a three month, strategic review of the scheme, which will report in September 2007. This will culminate in the production of a comprehensive Blue Badge Reform Strategy by April 2008.

Bus Services: Concessions

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  who will administer the national off peak free bus travel scheme for pensioners and disabled people;
	(2)  what the expected start date is for the introduction of the national off peak free bus travel scheme for pensioners and disabled people;
	(3)  from which budget the national off peak free bus travel scheme for pensioners and disabled people will be funded;
	(4)  what eligibility conditions for travel will be in place for the national off peak free bus travel scheme for pensioners and disabled people.

Gillian Merron: As announced in the 2006 Budget the national bus concession will be introduced in April next year (the exact date will be decided in due course). Eligibility on age or disability grounds will be the same as for the current statutory concessionpeople aged 60 and over, or who come under one of the seven categories of disability listed in the Transport Act 2000, will qualify.
	Guidance to local authorities on eligibility for disabled people was published in 2001 and updated in 2005 (copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House). The Department is looking to re-issue this guidance later in the year following consultation with its Concessionary Fares Working Group.
	An eligible person, on the presentation of a pass, will be entitled to travel for free on any local bus service in England from 9.30am to 11pm on weekdays and at any time at weekends and Bank Holidays.
	The responsibilities for administering the concessionassessing eligibility, issuing passes, reimbursing the bus operators and enforcementwill rest with the existing travel concession authorities (TCAs). These are shire districts, unitary authorities, the Passenger Transport Executives in the metropolitan areas, and the London boroughs (we expect the London councils to administer the concession on behalf of the boroughs). The Concessionary Travel Bill currently before Parliament includes an order making power to change the tier of local government at which the concessionary fares is administered in the future, for example from shire districts to county councils.
	TCAs can voluntarily enter into joint arrangements with other authorities e.g. a county council could administer the scheme on behalf of its districts. The Department is keen to see such arrangements, due to the administrative efficiencies.
	The Concessionary Travel Bill will require the TCA to issue passes to those people that qualify, on age or disability grounds, who appear to have their 'sole and principal' residence in the TCA.
	The extra funding (up to 250 million per year) will either be distributed via the formula grant system (as is the case for current funding of mandatory concession) or specific grant. A decision on the funding route will be made in due course.

Buses: Safety

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact of bus design on the risk of injuring pedestrians.

Gillian Merron: No specific assessment has been made but the Department is reviewing two related areas. The first review will identify the key safety issues with large passenger, goods and agricultural vehicles, and suggest cost-effective proposals to address them. The second review will improve our understanding of the nature, and underlying causes of trends in pedestrian accidents involving large passenger and goods vehicles.
	The reports are expected to become available in the autumn, for consideration of appropriate further action.

Cycling

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to encourage the use of cycles  (a) to and from workplaces and  (b) within local communities; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Harris: Cycling England, the Government's advisory body on cycling, is tasked with getting more people cycling, more safely, more often. It is working with local authorities and others to promote cycling, focusing on the journey to work and to school. We doubled Cycling England's budget to 10 million last year and launched Bikeability cycle training earlier this year. The six cycling demonstration towns with whom Cycling England is working have increased cycle trips by around 30 per cent. in just one year.
	Furthermore, the Finance Act 1999 and the Income Tax (Earnings and Pensions) Act 2003 provided a tax exemption for employers to purchase cycles for their employees to commute to work. In June 2005 the Department issued guidance and assisted in the establishment of a group consumer credit licence for all UK businesses to allow them to implement the scheme up to a value of 1,000 per cycle. We understand from the scheme providers that approximately 70,000 people have benefited from the scheme to date.
	Since 1999, we have also sought to mainstream the use of workplace travel, planning to reduce car use and increase sustainable travel such as cycling through guidance and pump priming funding for local authority employed travel plan officers. In February 2007 we set up the National Business Travel Network to enable businesses to share their experiences of travel planning with a view to promoting wider take-up of sustainable workplace travel.

Departments: Carbon Emissions

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether his Department is on track to deliver the projected carbon savings of 5.1 MtC by 2010 as set out in the 2000 climate change programme; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Savings of 5.1 MtC in 2010 were projected in the 2006 climate change programme from existing transport measures. We remain on track to achieve these.

Departments: Consultants

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent on consultants in each of the last 10 years.

Gillian Merron: The Department was formed in May 2002. Details of expenditure by the Department on consultants from 2002-03 to 2006-07 are shown as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 2002-03 227.5 
			 2003-04 239.5 
			 2004-05 193.3 
			 2005-06 72.1 
			 2006-07 81.2 
		
	
	The business units within the Department currently use separate accounting systems which record expenditure differently. The totals include a mixture of committed spend (i.e. orders raised) and actual spend incurred. The Professional Services Forum definition of consultancy has been applied since 2005-06 resulting in more accurate coding of expenditure.

Departments: Manpower

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many people work in the Rail Directorate of his Department; and what the wages and salaries costs of the directorate were in each of the last five years.

Tom Harris: The current established headcount of the Rail and National Networks Directorate is 325.
	The Rail Directorate wages and salaries costs for the last five years were:
	
		
			million 
			 2002-03 3.5 
			 2003-04 4.5 
			 2004-05 4.9 
			 2005-06 19.1 
			 2006-07 16.5 
		
	
	The 2005-06 and 2006-07 costs include staff transferred into the Department from the Strategic Rail Authority.

Departments: Official Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent on hospitality by his Department in the financial year 2006-07.

Gillian Merron: The Department for Transport spent 552,796.35 on hospitality for the financial year 2006-07. This spend includes costs for refreshments provided at meetings and working lunches.
	The following agencies were not able to provide the information requested without incurring disproportionate cost:
	Highways Agency (only provided by the Information Directorate);
	Vehicle and Operator Services Agency; and
	Driving Standards Agency.

Departments: Official Residences

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the official ministerial residences allocated to Ministers in his Department; and what the total annual cost is of running each.

Gillian Merron: No Ministers in the Department for Transport are allocated a ministerial residence.

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was raised from the sale of his Department's property in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: The requested information is as follows:
	
		
			
			 2002-03 11,657,000 
			 2003-04 4,324,000 
			 2004-05 8,887,263 
			 2005-06 11,852,000 
			 2006-07 9,191,000

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was received by his Department from the letting of its properties in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: The requested information is as follows:
	
		
			
			 2002-03 3,269,753 
			 2003-04 4,087,889 
			 2004-05 4,094,935 
			 2005-06 4,225,375 
			 2006-07 3,651,636

Departments: Public Relations

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent by his Department on public relations in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: The Department's prime use of external public relations is in support of our marketing activities on the THINK! road safety and Act on CO2 campaigns. Expenditure in each of the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			   Tot al () 
			 2002-03 798,254 
			 2003-04 860,934 
			 2004-05 811,538 
			 2005-06 923,072 
			 2006-07 959,681

Departments: Sign Language

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the merits of providing British Sign Language (BSL) videos on his departmental website for the benefit of those whose first language is BSL.

Gillian Merron: The Department for Transport website has been designed to follow the Guidelines for Government websites and to meet the Web Accessibility Initiative Guidelines conformance level double A. The Code of Practice for Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act states that websites should be made accessible to ensure provision for people with disabilities, hence conformance to the double A standard.
	We do not routinely produce BSL versions of material on our website, but have produced a BSL film on use of Seatbelts and Child restraints in support of our THINK! road safety campaign. BSL versions of the Highway Code will be available from the Driving Standards Agency from September if required.

Departments: Travel Agents

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department and its agencies paid in travel agencies' fees in each year since 1997.

Gillian Merron: The Department for Transport came into existence in May 2002 under machinery of government changes. From that date until June 2005, travel agent's fees were paid at 1.5 per cent. of contract turnover, an average figure of 12,500 per quarter. Since 1 July 2005, fees have been paid at a fixed annual rate of 50,000. This figure includes one of the Department's agencies and a small element for the Department for Communities and Local Government.
	Five of the Department's agencies either do not pay travel agent's fees, or do not record the fees separately from other travel costs. Further information could only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	The remaining agency, VOSA, spent 199,000 in 2003-04, 180,000 in 2004-05, 134,000 in 2005-06, and 124,000 in 2006-07.

Driving Offences

Andrew Selous: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2007,  Official Report, column 971W, on driving offences, how many vehicles are represented by the 2.5 per cent. of cases in which it is not possible to trace a vehicle from the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency database.

Stephen Ladyman: Currently there are approximately 33 million vehicles on the DVLA database and 2.5 per cent. of this figure is 825,000.

Driving Tests: Fees and Charges

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the costs of the driving theory test were in each year since its introduction; and what the reason was for each change.

Stephen Ladyman: The following table shows the theory test cost since its introduction in 1996.
	
		
			  Date  Test type  Cost ()  Reason 
			 1996 All categories of vehicle 15.00 Cost of initial theory test 
			 1999 All categories of vehicle 15.50 Inflationary increase 
			 2002 All categories of vehicle 18.00 Hazard Perception Test introduction 
			 2003 All categories of vehicle 20.50 Balance of Hazard Perception Test costs 
			 2005 All categories of vehicle 21.00 Inflationary increase 
			 2006 All categories of vehicle 21.50 Inflationary increase 
			 2007 Vocational (LGV/PCV) 32.00 Enhanced test with new topics, such as first aid 
			 2007 Car/motorbike 28.50 Enhanced test with new topics, such as first aid

Heathrow Airport: Security

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the  (a) longest and  (b) average waiting time was for travellers going through airport security at Heathrow terminal 4 on 10 June.

Gillian Merron: holding answer 15 June 2007
	 I would refer the hon. Gentleman to the BAA websitewww.heathrowairport.comwhich has summary statistics on its monthly performance against a range of service quality measures, including passenger security queuing.

M3: Hampshire

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when junctions 5 to 7 of the M3 motorway will be resurfaced with noise retarding materials; and how many lanes will be resurfaced as part of this work.

Stephen Ladyman: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 15 January 2007,  Official Report, column 754W.

Motor Vehicles: Excise Duties

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his most recent estimate is of the number of unlicensed vehicles on the road in the UK.

Stephen Ladyman: Evasion among all vehicles in use was estimated to be around 6 per cent. in 2006. This was 2.2 million vehicles.

Parking: Disabled

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  whether his Department has made any assessment of the effectiveness of road markings distinguishing parking bays for the disabled;
	(2)  what steps his Department has taken to raise awareness amongst drivers of the problems caused by incorrect parking in disabled parking bays.

Gillian Merron: The Department for Transport has not made any assessment of the effectiveness of road markings distinguishing parking bays for disabled people.
	On-street parking provision and enforcement is the responsibility of individual local authorities. In this context local authorities are best placed to raise the awareness of both disabled and non-disabled drivers about the provision for parking and how disabled parking bays should be used.
	The provision and enforcement of parking bays in off-street car parks, whether local authority or privately owned, is a matter for individual car park operators. The Department issues advice on signage and markings in off-street car parks in its Traffic Advisory Leaflet 5/95, Parking for Disabled People.
	The Department is conducting a three month review of the Blue Badge Scheme which will aid us in the publication of a comprehensive Blue Badge Reform Strategy by April 2008. Tackling abuse of the Blue Badge Scheme and the issue of enforcement of disabled person's parking bays on-street will be included in the review.

Pedestrians: Accidents

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pedestrian fatalities were caused by buses in each of the last seven years.

Gillian Merron: The numbers of pedestrians who were killed as a result of being hit by a bus or coach in a road accident in each of the last seven years is shown in the table:
	
		
			   Number 
			 1999 69 
			 2000 60 
			 2001 79 
			 2002 55 
			 2003 57 
			 2004 52 
			 2005 47 
		
	
	2005 is the latest year for which figures are available.

Public Transport: Costs

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the change in cost to the passenger of public transport in real terms in each year since 1997, broken down by mode of transport.

Gillian Merron: Table 1 shows in index form bus and coach fares and rail fares in real terms in each year since 1997.
	
		
			  Table 1: real changes in the cost of transport: UK 1997 to 2006(Index 1997 = 100) 
			   Bus and coach fares  Rail fares 
			 1997 100.0 100.0 
			 1998 99.9 100.7 
			 1999 101.9 102.8 
			 2000 103.0 101.5 
			 2001 105.4 103.6 
			 2002 106.9 104.2 
			 2003 108.2 103.0 
			 2004 110.5 103.9 
			 2005 114.6 105.1 
			 2006 112.6 105.9 
			  Source: Office for National Statistics 
		
	
	Between 1997 and 2006 the real cost of bus and coach fares has increased by 12.6 per cent. and rail fares have increased by 5.9 per cent.

Railways: Eastbourne

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to improve the transport infrastructure of  (a) Eastbourne and  (b) East Sussex for the purpose of (i) facilitating economic growth, (ii) reducing environmental damage and (iii) widening access to services and opportunities to the population.

Gillian Merron: Local transport plans (LTP) are the mechanism by which local authorities undertake transport improvements at the local level. The objectives of the East Sussex LTP include the reduction of congestion to improve the efficiency of the transport network, the protection of the environment and the improvement of access to services. East Sussex county council received over 10 million from Government to implement its LTP in 2007-08. In Eastbourne the plan's objectives will be delivered via the Eastbourne local area transport strategy which is aimed at addressing local needs.
	In addition a number of improvements to the trunk road network in east Sussex have been prioritised by the south east region for funding from the regional funding allocation for major transport schemes. The A27 Southerham-Beddingham improvement (32 million) is currently under construction and, subject to successful completion of statutory procedures, the Bexhill-Hastings Link Road (47 million) and the A21 Baldslow junction improvement (18 million), have both been prioritised for funding by the region over the next five years to 2010-11. East Sussex county council have reported that the Bexhill to Hastings Link Road estimated cost has increased to around 89 million and the region are currently considering whether it is still a priority at the higher cost. In addition, 15 million worth of congestion relief improvements on the A27 at Wilmington have also been prioritised by the region for 2015-16.
	On 22 May we published a consultation document 'Strengthening Local Delivery' accompanied by a draft Local Transport Bill. The draft Bill would ensure that local authorities have the right mix of powers to improve their local bus services, following on from the proposals in 'Putting Passengers First'.
	The Concessionary Bus Travel Bill, currently before Parliament, provides for a national bus travel concession for older and disabled people in England. The Bill extends the existing statutory concession of free off-peak local bus travel within an eligible person's local authority area, introduced in 2006, to free off-peak local bus travel anywhere in England, widening access to services and opportunities for a significant number of Eastbourne and east Sussex residents.
	With regard to Rail investment, figures are not available specifically for east Sussex but the county will benefit from a number of recent improvements. All older 'slam-door' rolling stock south of the Thames has been removed from the network. The electric multiple units now used by southern TOCs are less than three years old, and are more reliable, and faster than their predecessors. With the accompanying power supply upgrade of recent years, passengers on Southern, Southeastern and South West Trains have also benefited from 2.7 billion worth of investment since 2003.

Road Traffic

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Traffic Management Act 2004 in reducing congestion in each Government office region.

Gillian Merron: A research commission to assess parts 2, 3 and 4 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 commenced on the 4 June 2007, and where appropriate results will be presented by Government office region.
	An assessment of how local traffic authorities performed their network management duties (part 2 of the Act) was conducted in 2006, the results of which are still to be finalised.
	In April 2007 an assessment took place following the deployment of the Traffic Officer Service (part 1 of the Act). Results of the assessment are yet to be published.

Roads: Accidents

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the survival chance of a pedestrian hit by a vehicle travelling at  (a) 20 mph,  (b) 30 mph,  (c) 35 mph,  (d) 39 mph,  (e) 40 mph,  (f) 50 mph and  (g) 60 mph; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: Research by Ashton and Mackay estimated the chances of a pedestrian surviving if hit by a vehicle travelling at a variety of speeds. This showed that:
	At 20 mph there is about a 1 in 40 chance of being killed.
	At 30 mph there is about a 1 in 5 chance of being killed.
	At 35 mph there is about a 50/50 chance of being killed.
	At 40 mph there is about a 9 in 10 chance of being killed.
	The research also showed the chances of a child pedestrian surviving are:
	At 30 mph there is about a 1 in 5 chance of being killed.
	At 40 mph there is about an 8 in 10 chance of being killed.
	Pedestrians being hit by vehicles travelling at 39 mph, 50 mph and 60 mph were not assessed as part of this research.

Thames River Safety Inquiry

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what the cost was of the Thames River Safety Inquiry;
	(2)  what the cost was of the 2000 Clark Inquiry into issues arising out of the identification of victims following major transport accidents;
	(3)  what the cost was of the Marchioness Inquiry.

Stephen Ladyman: The total cost to the Department of the Thames Safety Inquiry, the public inquiry into the identification of victims following major transport accidents and the Marchioness Formal Investigation was approximately 6.3 million. Since the individual inquiries ran either concurrently or within a very short time of each other, a breakdown for each separate inquiry is not obtainable except at disproportionate cost.

Trains: Bicycles

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to ensure that  (a) there is adequate space for a reasonable number of bicycles on each train and  (b) secure cycle parking is available at stations.

Tom Harris: Bidders for the franchises that are out to tender currently (East Midlands, West Midlands, New Cross Country and InterCity East Coast) are required to consider bike-rail integration and facilities at stations in their bid submissions. The Government's aspiration is to see 95 per cent. of journeys originating from stations with adequate cycle parking facilities.
	Last year the Government asked Cycling England, our advisory group on cycling, to look into how we might better encourage bike and rail journeys. Cycling England has accepted this remit and is now looking to see where progress can best be made further to improve bike and rail integration.
	Also, we will continue to encourage Train Operating Companies (TOCs) to carry bikes on trains where possible. This is in line with the Cycling Policy document first published by the former Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) in 2004 and recently adopted by the Department. The Cycling Policy document advises TOCs to facilitate the carriages of cycles on off-peak services and encourages the carriage of folding cycles at all times. However, I accept that during the peak hours, where capacity is under pressure, there will be occasions where it is in the interests of the majority of passengers not to permit non-folding cycles on board.
	It is right that TOCs are given a steer by Government as to how they should ensure they are fully maximising the potential of bike and rail to help reduce car use. However, TOCs are best placed to know where and when pressure on services exists and they must be free to impose restrictions accordingly, although I hope that such restrictions are carefully considered and kept to a minimum.

Trams: Greater London

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the London Mayor on the funding of the West London Tram scheme.

Gillian Merron: The Secretary of State has had no recent discussions regarding the West London Tram. However, officials from Transport for London and the Department for Transport continue to discuss London's investment options and priorities as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

Transport: Schools

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the potential extra cost to local authorities of providing transport for pupils to attend special schools as a result of the repeal of section 75 of the Local Government and Provisions Act 1975; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost of obtaining a licence by people who wish to contract with local authorities to provide transport for children to and from special schools; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The decision to repeal section 75(1)(b) of the Local Government (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 1975, known as the contract exemption, was motivated by the paramount need to ensure the safety of those being carried under contracts for the hire of a Private Hire Vehicle (PHV).
	PHV licence fees are set by local licensing authorities and vary widely from area to area. Making reasonable assumptions about the numbers of drivers, vehicles and operators likely to be involved in total across all sectors, and about average licence fees, we estimate that the total cost will be about 1 million.
	No specific estimate of the costs for those involved in transport to and from special schools has been made.
	It should be borne in mind that many contracts will already be carried out by drives, vehicles and operators that are already licensed or to whom the contact exemption did not apply. Furthermore, the proportion of licensing cost which will be passed on to those awarding contracts will depend on contracts terms in each case.

HEALTH

Bournemouth Hospital: Accident and Emergency Departments

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans there are to close Bournemouth hospital's accident and emergency department.

Andy Burnham: holding answer 24 May 2007
	This is a matter for the chair of The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. We have written to Sheila Collins informing her of the hon. Member's inquiry. She will reply shortly and a copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

Cancer

Elliot Morley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department made of the needs of people with lymphoma in the preparation of the Our Health, Our Care, Our Say White Paper.

Andy Burnham: There was no specific assessment of the needs of people with lymphoma as part of the Our Health, Our Care, Our Say White Paper. The White Paper's broad focus meant it did not deal with specific illnesses, but focussed instead on principles that would improve care for all patients such as greater integration between health and social care, more treatment in the community and better preventative and early intervention services.

Children: Abuse

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the number of children under the age of five years who died following abuse or neglect in each of the last five years; and if she will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government have not estimated the number of children under the age of five years who have died following abuse or neglect in the last five years. The Government do not collect that specific information.

Chiropractice

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what requirement exists for chiropractors to register with the Healthcare Commission; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: Chiropractors are required to register with the General Chiropractic Council. Chiropractors would be required to register with the Healthcare Commission if they also intended to operate an independent clinic where services are provided by medical practitioners as defined under section 2(4) of the Care Standards Act 2000.

Christopher Clunis Care and Treatment Inquiry

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of the 2000 Ritchie Inquiry.

Andy Burnham: The cost of the 2000 Ritchie Inquiry was 645,000.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Research

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department plans to take to increase the amount of bio-medical research conducted into chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 6 June 2007,  Official Report, column 561W.

Departments: Pay

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average salary of staff working in her Department was in each financial year since 1997-98.

Ivan Lewis: The Department does not hold data of average salaries. The Department publishes information on pay bill costs and numbers of core Department staff in its annual reports, which are available in the Library.

Departments: Public Bodies

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) budget was and (b) staffing numbers were for each of her Department's arm's length bodies in each year since 1997.

Ivan Lewis: Such information as is available is shown in the following tables. Budget and staffing numbers for the Department's Arms Length Bodies are not held centrally prior to 2003-04 and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Arm's Length BodiesSummary of departmental budgets and whole-time equivalent (WTE) posts for 2003-04 to 2007-08 
			   2003-04 
			  Name of Arm's Length Body  Departmental recurrent budgets (000)  WTE posts 
			  Regulators   
			 HC 69,713 771 
			 MHAC 3,604 36 
			 Monitor 2,794 28 
			 CSCI 109,860 2,622 
			 HFEA 4,267 106 
			 ROC/HTA 1,210 18 
			 CHRE 1,470 8 
			 GSCC 9,994 173 
			 PMETB 2,089 27 
			 DVTA 265 4 
			 MHRA- Devices 2,600 806 
			  Standards   
			 NICE 16,602 92 
			 HdA 11,623 138 
			  Public Welfare   
			 NPSA 16,850 149 
			 NCAA 5,944 89 
			 HPA 107,276 2,726 
			 NRPB 6,385 349 
			 PHLS 4,300 69 
			 NBSB 15,799 308 
			 NTA 8,936 88 
			 CPPIH 24,639 197 
			  Central Services   
			 NBA (inc BPL) 0 5,599 
			 UKT 9,493 121 
			 NHS LA 5,165 217 
			 FHSAA 870 15 
			 NHS AC 3,447 49 
			 NHSU 27,000 262 
			 NHS MOD 228,797 842 
			 NHS IA/HSCIC 253,022 1,127 
			 DPB 23,790 321 
			 PPA 66,187 2,438 
			 NHS CFSMS 13,352 250 
			 NHS PA 20,858 339 
			 NHS PASA 20,268 333 
			 NHS LOGS 0 1,403 
			 NHS DIRECT 120,440 1,987 
			 NHS PROF 27,000 671 
			 NHS EST 18,987 412 
			 Total 1,264,896 25,190 
		
	
	
		
			  2004/05 
			  Name of Arm's Length Body  Departmental recurrent  budgets (000)  WTE posts (estimate) 
			  Regulators   
			 HC 71,500 771 
			 MHAC 4,815 36 
			 Monitor 16,000 28 
			 CSCI 112,677 2,622 
			 HFEA 5,850 106 
			 ROC/HTA 0 18 
			 CHRE 2,000 8 
			 GSCC 14,213 173 
			 PMETB 3,874 27 
			 DVTA 240 4 
			 MHRA- Devices 13,000 806 
			  Standards   
			 NICE 18,815 92 
			 HdA 12,878 138 
			  Public Welfare   
			 NPSA 15,505 149 
			 NCAA 10,550 89 
			 HPA 121,900 2,726 
			 NRPB 6,695 349 
			 PHLS 0 69 
			 NBSB 16,220 308 
			 NTA 9,800 88 
			 CPPIH 34,725 197 
			  Central Services   
			 NBA (inc BPL) 19,988 5,599 
			 UKT 12,048 121 
			 NHS LA 5,152 217 
			 FHSAA 1,411 15 
			 NHS AC 3,877 49 
			 NHSU 43,676 262 
			 NHS MOD 218,000 842 
			 NHS IA/HSCIC 277,017 1,127 
			 DPB 25,500 321 
			 PPA 80,048 2,438 
			 NHS CFSMS 16,370 250 
			 NHS PA 22,275 339 
			 NHS PASA 20,841 333 
			 NHS LOGS 0 1,403 
			 NHS DIRECT 18,064 1,987 
			 NHS PROF 27,000 671 
			 NHS EST 16,638 412 
			 Total 1,299,162 25,190 
		
	
	
		
			  2005-06 
			  Name of Arm's Length Body  Departmental recurrent budgets (000)  WTE posts 
			  Regulators   
			 HC 72,232 771 
			 MHAC 4,884 43 
			 Monitor 15,000 28 
			 CSCI 102,230 2,492 
			 HFEA 4,623 103 
			 HTA 1,000 20 
			 CHRE 2,000 11 
			 GSCC 12,473 264 
			 PMETB 3,229 67 
			 DVTA 252 in BSA 
			 MHRA-Devices 15,523 827 
			  Standards   
			 NICE 29,268 217 
			  Public Welfare   
			 NPSA 27,371 311 
			 HPA 151,865 3,287 
			 NBSB 16,576 313 
			 NTA 10,205 126 
			 CPPIH 31,459 118 
			  Central Services   
			 NHS BT 50,407 6,155 
			 NHS LA 3,041 176 
			 NHS AC 5,256 57 
			 HSCIC 52,539 366 
			 NHS BSA 142,638 3,084 
			 NHS PASA 22,188 353 
			 NHS DIRECT 13,466 3,461 
			 NHS PROF 23,000 742 
			 NHS EST 17,901 0 
			 CfH 172,740 605 
			 NIII 100,000 170 
			 NHS LOGS 0 1,462 
			 Total 1,103,366 25,629 
		
	
	
		
			  2006-07 
			  Name of Arm's Length Body  Departmental recurrent budgets (000)  WTE posts 
			  Regulators   
			 HC 72,267 889 
			 MHAC 5,016 42 
			 Monitor 12,324 28 
			 CSCI 95,586 2,335 
			 HFEA 2,091 82 
			 HTA 922 42 
			 CHRE 2,000 12 
			 GSCC 12,098 301 
			 PMETB 2,889 51 
			 MHRA-Devices 10,982 831 
			  Standards   
			 NICE 29,458 230 
			  Public Welfare   
			 NPSA 31,333 299 
			 HPA 159,884 3,248 
			 NBSB 17,273 313 
			 NTA 10,443 166 
			 CPPIH 29,609 114 
			  Central Services   
			 NHS BT 43,926 6,110 
			 NHS LA 3,041 176 
			 NHS AC 4,700 42 
			 HSCIC 39,424 354 
			 NHS BSA 129,530 2,722 
			 NHS PASA 28,110 332 
			 NHS DIRECT 0 2,227 
			 NHS PROF 13,300 740 
			 CfH 152,380 605 
			 NIII 68,950 175 
			 Total 977,536 22,466 
		
	
	
		
			  2007-08 
			  Name of Arm's Length Body  Departmental recurrent budgets (000)  WTE posts 
			  Regulators   
			 HC 67,264 771 
			 MHAC 5,413 42 
			 Monitor 12,657 50 
			 CSCI 66,350 2,098 
			 HFEA 2,147 82 
			 HTA 1,094 42 
			 CHRE 2,028 12 
			 GSCC 11,515 228 
			 PMETB 2,695 50 
			 MHRA-Devices 11,057 862 
			  Standards   
			 NICE 30,649 233 
			  Public Welfare   
			 NPSA 30,077 294 
			 HPA 160,411 3,228 
			 NBSB 18,624 312 
			 NTA 10,837 132 
			 CPPIH 27,300 114 
			  Central Services   
			 NHS BT 33,732 5,927 
			 NHS LA 3,037 176 
			 NHS AC 3,435 42 
			 HSCIC 33,785 316 
			 NHS BSA 125,432 2,409 
			 NHS PASA 28,246 332 
			 NHS DIRECT 0 0 
			 NHS PROF 9,932 740 
			 CfH 152,380 605 
			 NIII 65,325 175 
			 ENB 1,200  
			 Total 916,622 19,272 
			  Notes: 1. Figures before 2003-04 are not available without further inquiries. 2. Whole-time equivalent (WTE) figures for 2004-05 are not available without further inquiries, the 2003-04 figures have been used as an estimate. 3. WTE figures relate to the end of the financial year. 4. The WTE figures are for the number of posts and not the number of staff. 5. Budget figures are for recurrent funding including capital charges. 6. The Connecting for Health (CfH) figures reflect the element of NHS Information Authority (NHS IA) funding that was transferred to CfH. 7. Some Arm's Length Bodies (ALBs) in the table are not directly funded by the Department but WTE figures are show as they count towards a Departmental ALB Review target. 8. Headcount figures are not available for ENB.  Source: Information held centrally by the Department 
		
	
	
		
			  Key to Arm's Length Body abbreviations 
			  Abbreviation  ALB name 
			 CfH Connecting for Health 
			 CHRE Council for Healthcare Regulatory Excellence 
			 CPPIH Commission for Patient  Public Involvement in Health 
			 CSCI Commission for Social Care Inspection 
			 DPB Dental Practice Board 
			 DVTA Dental Vocational Training Authority 
			 ENB English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting 
			 FHSAA Family Health Services Appeal Authority 
			 GSCC General Social Care Council 
			 HC Healthcare Commission 
			 had Health Development Agency 
			 HFEA Human Fertilisation  Embryology Authority 
			 HPA Health Protection Agency 
			 MHAC Mental Health Act Commission 
			 MHRA- Devices Medicines  Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency  Devices 
			 Monitor Monitor  Independent Regulator of NHS Foundation Trusts 
			 NBA (inc BPL) National Blood Authority 
			 NBSB National Biological Standards Board 
			 NCAA National Clinical Assessment Authority 
			 NHS AC Appointments Commission 
			 NHS BSA NHS Business Services Authority 
			 NHS BT NHS Blood  Transplant 
			 NHS CFSMS NHS Counter Fraud and Security Management Service 
			 NHS DIRECT NHS DIRECT 
			 NHS EST NHS Estates 
			 NHS IA/HSCIC NHS Information Authority / Health  Social Care Information Centre 
			 NHS LA NHS Litigation Authority 
			 NHS LOGS NHS Logistics Authority 
			 NHS MOD NHS Modernisation Agency 
			 NHS PA NHS Pensions Agency 
			 NHS PASA NHS Purchasing  Supply Agency 
			 NHS PROF NHS Professionals 
			 NHSU NHS University 
			 NICE National Institute for Health  Clinical Excellence 
			 NIII NHS Institute for Innovation  Improvement 
			 NPSA National Patient Safety Agency 
			 NRPB National Radiological Protection Board 
			 NTA National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse 
			 PHLS Public Health Laboratory Service Board 
			 PMETB Postgraduate Medical Education  Training Board 
			 PPA Prescription Pricing Authority 
			 ROC/HTA Retained Organs Committee / Human Tissue Authority 
			 UKT UK Transplant

General Practitioners: Lancashire

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of general practitioner practices in West Lancashire constituency have closed their lists to new patients.

Andy Burnham: The information requested is not collected centrally. Central Lancashire primary care trust advise that there are no general practitioner practices in West Lancashire that have closed lists.

Harold Shipman Tribunal of Inquiry

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of the Shipman Inquiry.

Andy Burnham: The cost of the Shipman Inquiry was 21 million.

Health Services

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she published the conclusions of the review announced in paragraph 3.34 of the Health White Paper Our Health, Our Care, Our Say; and if she will place a copy in the Library.

Andy Burnham: No date has yet been set for publication. Once published, a copy will be placed in the Library.

Health Services: Children

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her Department's guidance on the application of the statutory definition of children in need includes children affected by alcohol misuse.

Parmjit Dhanda: I have been asked to reply.
	Children are defined as 'in need' under section 17 of the Children Act 1989 if they are unlikely to achieve or maintain a reasonable level of health or development, or their health or development would be significantly impaired, without the provision of services by the local authority with children's services responsibility.
	The Government's guidance, A Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and their Families (2000) provides guidance on undertaking assessments to support professional judgments about how to help children and families in the best interests of the child. Circumstances such as the misuse of alcohol by a child or by others within the child's family would be among the factors taken into account when carrying out such an assessment.

Health Services: Social Services

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what statutory obligations govern the co-ordination of service delivery between local primary care trusts and local authority delivered social services;
	(2)  what guidance is given to primary care trusts and local authority controlled social services serving the same geographical and administrative area on the co-ordination of their service delivery.

Ivan Lewis: The main pieces of legislation governing co-operation between the national health service and local authorities providing social services are:
	Section 82 of the NHS Act 2006 (which is derived from section 22 of the NHS Act 1977) provides that defined NHS bodies and local authorities must co-operate in order to secure and advance the health and welfare of the peoples of England and Wales;
	Sections 26 to 32 of the Health Act 1999 which created a new duty of co-operation within the NHS and extend the duty between NHS bodies and local authorities;
	Section 45 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 (now section 77 of the NHS Act 2006) provides for the designation of primary care trusts (PCTs) and NHS trusts as care trusts in cases where they have local authority health-related functions delegated to them by agreement;
	Section 10 of the Children Act 2004 which created a statutory framework for local co-operation between local authorities, key partner agencies (relevant partners) and other relevant bodies (other bodies or persons), including the voluntary and community sector, in order to improve the well-being of children in the area; and
	Section 4 of the Childcare Act 2006 which creates a reciprocal duty between the local authority and relevant partners in the NHS and Jobcentre Plus to work together in delivering integrated early childhood services to improve outcomes and reduce inequalities in achievement.
	The Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill includes provisions to enhance local partnership working and strengthen the role of local area agreements (LAAs). LAAs will form the central delivery contract between local government and its partners. The provisions in the Bill include: a new duty on upper tier local authorities and authorities with upper tier responsibilities to produce a LAA in consultation with other local partners; a new duty on named partners and the local authority to co-operate with each other to agree the targets within the LAA, and to have regard to those targets; and a new duty on local authorities and PCTs to develop a joint strategic needs assessment of the health and social care needs of their local population, the findings of the which will feed into the sustainable community strategy and subsequently the targets in the LAA.
	Guidance on the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill, including the provisions on partnership working between local authorities and the NHS, will be issued by Communities and Local Government when the Bill receives Royal Assent.

Hospital Beds: Cumbria

Jamie Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the cost of bed blocking to Cumbria primary care trust and its predecessor primary care trusts in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: The requested information is not collected centrally.

Hospitals: Admissions

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate she has made of the incidence of patients who having been discharged were subsequently re-admitted for the same complaint within  (a) one week,  (b) two weeks,  (c) one month,  (d) two months,  (e) three months,  (f) four months,  (g) five months and  (h) six months; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The information requested is not collected in the format requested. However, the Department does collect information on emergency re-admissions and this information can be accessed on the National Centre for Health Outcomes Development website at:
	www.nchod.nhs.uk

Medical Treatments: Greater London

Diane Abbott: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether she plans to use  (a) epidemiological data and  (b) other research evidence in the further development of the Pan London 3 Year Treatment Information Initiative Commissioning Intentions 2007-2010; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: This is a matter for London primary care trusts as they are responsible for commissioning pan-London prevention and treatment information programmes.

New Deal for Carers

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how the 1 million allocated as part of the consultation on the New Deal for Carers will be spent;
	(2)  which organisations she expects to receive funds from the 1 million allocated as part of the consultation on carers.

Ivan Lewis: The 1 million support to carers' organisations that was announced as part of the package on the consultation on the New Deal for Carers is to be made available to national organisations who provide direct support to carers generally and who have a high profile and regard in the field. They will be organisations who have provided close support to the Government in the development of the New Deal for Carers which was formally launched by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 23 February this year.
	The funding will be made available to help such organisations to build their capacity to provide direct support for carers.

NHS Treatment Centres: Standards

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment her Department has made of the performance of NHS walk-in centres at  (a) Royal Surrey County Hospital,  (b) Surrey Primary Care Trust and  (c) in England; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: National health service walk-in centres are local services which are commissioned or provided by primary care trusts (PCTs). The White Paper Our Health, Our Care, Our Say strongly endorsed such centres as they contribute significantly to improving access to services for many people. Performance management of an individual centre is, however, a matter for the responsible PCT.

NHS: Drugs

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  when her Department's response to the consultation on branded generic medicines will be published;
	(2)  what conclusions she has reached following the consultation on branded generic medicines on their potential to produce savings for the NHS; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Department has received the report of the Office of Fair Trading's market study of the pharmaceutical price regulation scheme and will consider its findings on this matter before we finally decide upon what action to take concerning branded generic medicines.

NHS: Inquiries

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of the three inquiries into the effectiveness of local health services' procedures to deal with complaints about individuals.

Andy Burnham: The total cost of the three inquiries was 7,336,000. The cost of the Ayling Inquiry was 1,982,000; the Neale Inquiry was 2,145,000 and the Kerr/Haslam Inquiry, which included some common costs for all three inquiries, was 3,209,000.

NHS: Non-Geographic Numbers

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which non-geographic numbers may be used by each type of NHS organisation.

Andy Burnham: Since April 2005, national health service organisations have been banned from setting up new premium rate telephone numbers (starting with the digits 09) or national rate telephone numbers starting with the digits 087 for patients contacting local services.
	NHS organisations are able to set up free phone numbers or those that offer patients a guaranteed low rate call, such as 0845 or 0844 numbers. In addition, Ofcom has recently introduced a new 03 number range to be used by public sector and not for profit bodies, which is charged at local rate.
	It is for individual NHS dentists, NHS opticians, general practitioner practices and out-of-hours providers to decide what is in their patients' best interests, taking account of the Central Office of Information guidance on cost to the citizen.

NHS: Standards

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how  (a) many staff were employed and  (b) much was spent by her Department analysing NHS targets in each year from 1997 to 2006; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: This information is not collected centrally.

Queen's Hospital Romford

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of hospital acquired infections were reported at the Queen's Hospital in Romford in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: This information is collected by the Department at trust level only. Queen's hospital is part of Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS trust and has been open only since December 2006. It would therefore not be relevant to provide trust level data.

TREASURY

Cash Dispensing: Fees and Charges

Tony Baldry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made on the provision of non-charging ATMs in low income areas since the summit hosted by his Department in May 2006.

Edward Balls: holding answer 14 June 2007
	I have today made a written ministerial statement on this issue.

Child Tax Credit: Take-Up

Joan Humble: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much his Department and its agencies spent on promoting take-up of child tax credit in the latest year for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Rayleigh (Mr. Francois) on 14 May 2007,  Official Re port , column 566W.
	Campaigns promote take up of both working tax credit and child tax credit (CTC); separate figures for CTC are not therefore available.

Children's Centres: Finance

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to fund children's centres in the comprehensive spending review.

Stephen Timms: The DfES settlement for the comprehensive spending review period (2008-09 to 2010-11) was announced at Budget 2007. This included an announcement of increased expenditure for Sure Start, child care and early years of at least 340 million by 2010-11 compared to 2007-08leading to a total of over 1.6 billion.
	These additional resources include sufficient funding to meet the target for a national network of 3,500 Sure Start children's centres by 2010, one for every community in the country.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the contributing factors in the rise of council tax receipts between 1997-98 and 2006-07; and if he will make a statement.

Ruth Kelly: I have been asked to reply.
	Council tax levels are set by local authorities. In addition to changes over time in the Band D level of council tax, the total receipts have been affected by growth in the council tax base. Receipts actually taken by authorities depend also on their collection rates.

Council Tax: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research the Valuation Office Agency has  (a) conducted and  (b) commissioned on the merits of annual (i) council tax and (ii) business rates revaluations.

Stephen Timms: None.

Council Tax: Valuation

Michael Gove: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) objective and  (b) timescale is of the Valuation Office Agency's (i) Enterprise Resource Planning and (ii) World Class programmes.

Dawn Primarolo: The objective of the world-class programme is as an enabler to deliver the VOA's World-Class Vision, which is set out in the VOA's Forward Plan 2006-10.
	The Enterprise Resource Planning system is designed to modernise and integrate back-office functions within the VOA in HR, Finance, Payroll and Procurement. The VOA is planning to introduce ERP in the week beginning 9 July.

Counterfeit Manufacturing: Drugs

Ian Gibson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue he estimates was foregone by the Exchequer due to the trade in counterfeit medicines in 2006.

John Healey: HMRC do not estimate the amount of revenue lost as a result of the trade in specific goods, including counterfeit medicines.

Debts

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average personal  (a) unsecured debt and  (b) total debt was as a percentage of income in each year since 1997.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 June 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary question on average personal unsecured debt and total debt was as a percentage of income in each year since 1997. (143313)
	The information requested is shown in the following table. The data for unsecured debt (households' total financial liabilities other than secured debt) and income (households' gross disposable income) used in the calculations are national accounts series for the combined household and non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH) sectors. The accounts for the household and NPISH sectors are currently combined; separate estimates are not available.
	For the denominator in the calculations the series used is Population aged 16+.
	
		
			   Annual income per person ()  Unsecured debt per person ()  Unsecured debt as a percentage of income  Total  d ebt per person ()  Total debt as a percentage of income 
			 1997 12,307 3,450 28.0 12,894 I 104.8 
			 1998 12,763 3,706 29.0 13,691 107.3 
			 1999 13,279 3,985 30.0 14,731 110.9 
			 2000 13,955 4,332 31.0 15,937 .114.2 
			 2001 14,787 4,749 32.1 17,466 118.1 
			 2002 15,182 5,433 35.8 19,766 130.2 
			 2003 15,755 5,830 37.0 22,277 141.4 
			 2004 16,180 6,259 38.7 24,766 153.1 
			 2005 16,865 6,519 38.7 26,183 155.3 
			 2006 17,344 6,739 38.9 28,509 164.4

Debts

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average total personal debt servicing level as a percentage of income was for  (a) interest and  (b) capital repayments in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 June 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary question on the average total personal debt servicing level as a percentage of income for each year 1997. (143314)
	The information available is shown in the following table. The only information available on repayments is payment of interest on loans. Capital repayments are not available. The data for interest on loans and income (households' gross disposable income) used in the calculations are national accounts series for the combined household and non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH) sectors. The accounts for the household and NPISH sectors are currently combined; separate estimates are not available.
	
		
			   Interest on  l oans ( million)  Household disposable income ( million)  Interest on loans as a percentage of income 
			   QWMG  QWND  (QWMG/QWND)*100 
			 1997 41862 559941 7.5 
			 1998 51219 582790 8.8 
			 1999 47434 608988 7.8 
			 2000 52875 643415 8.2 
			 2001 52141 686312 7.6 
			 2002 51513 709048 7.3 
			 2003 53576 740389 7.2 
			 2004 62677 765683 8.2 
			 2005 71091 804778 8.8 
			 2006 75053 834240 9.0

Departments: Resignations

Anne Main: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of his Department's civil servants tendered their resignation in the last month.

John Healey: Six Treasury officials resigned in May 2007.

Departments: Sick Leave

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what average number of days per year was taken by staff in his Department as sick leave in each of the last five years for which records are available.

John Healey: The latest available data on sickness absence are published at the Cabinet Office statistics website under analysis of sickness absence in the civil service at:
	http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/management/conditions%5Fof%5Fservice/publications/

Disabled Children

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the transition support programme announced in Aiming High for Disabled Children: Better Support for Families will be piloted; and in what parts of the country these pilots will take place.

Parmjit Dhanda: I have been asked to reply.
	We intend that the Transition Support Programme will be piloted from 2008-09. Work is in progress on developing the pilots and more details will be available later this year. No decision has yet been taken on what parts of the country the pilots will take place.
	The Council for Disabled Children has produced draft guidance on transition which will be published by the Department later this summer.

Employment: Lancashire

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many people in West Lancashire constituency were recorded as being in full-time employment in the financial year ended March  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2007;
	(2)  how many people in West Lancashire constituency were registered as unemployed in the financial year ending March  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2007.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 June 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Questions about employment and unemployment in West Lancashire. (143530, 143532).
	The Office for National Statistics compiles employment and unemployment statistics for local areas from the annual local area Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	Estimates of the number of people in full-time employment, resident in the West Lancashire constituency, as well as all the other parliamentary constituencies in Great Britain, was provided in an Answer on 3rd May 2007 (Hansard: column 1806W-1807W, reference 135561).
	There were 3,000 unemployed people aged 16 and over, resident in the West Lancashire constituency, in the 12 month period ending in February 1997 based on data from the annual local area LFS. The estimate for the 12 months ending in September 2006, from the latest available data from the APS, is 3,000. The corresponding unemployment rates are 7.2 per cent for 1997 and 5.8 per cent for 2006.
	As these estimates are for a subset of the population in small geographical areas, they are based on small sample sizes, and are therefore subject to large margins of uncertainty.
	ONS also compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance (ISA). The annual average number of people, resident in the West Lancashire constituency, claiming ISA from March 1996 to February 1997 was 3,230, and for October 2005 to September 2006 was 1,673. Data on numbers of ISA claimants are available for more recent periods than the APS data, and the annual average number of claimants in West Lancashire for April 2006 to March 2007 was 1,711.

Energy: Conservation

Tony Baldry: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many  (a) energy action plans and  (b) buildings have been adapted for energy efficiency under the Eighth Inclusive Communities Budget; at what cost; and whether a Ninth Inclusive Communities Budget is planned.

John Healey: Priority areas for round 8 of the Invest to Save BudgetInclusive Communities included improved energy efficiency in the public sector and third sector bodies and efficiency and increased access to the arts and culture sector. I refer to the written answer given to the hon. Member for Rayleigh (Mr. Francois) on 25 April 2007,  Official  Report, column 1162W, for further detail about these projects. These projects are in their initial stages and we do not have the detail on energy action plans or numbers of buildings adapted at this stage.
	Round 9 of the Invest to Save Budget concluded on 27 October 2006 and winners were announced with the Budget on 21 March 2007. Details of the successful projects can be found in the House Library.

Families

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of families with a child under the age of 18 years where there is  (a) one parent or guardian and  (b) two parents or guardians.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated 19 June 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your request for the number of families with a child under the age of 18 years where there is (a) one parent or guardian and (b) two parents or guardians. I am replying in her absence. (143594)
	The available figures are estimates from the Labour Force Survey of the numbers of families with dependent children in the United Kingdom in each year. A child is considered to be dependent if they are aged under 16 or 1648 but in full-time education. For this reason, the figures include some children aged 18 (those in full-time education). In 2006, it is estimated that there were 1,879 thousand lone parent families with dependent children and 5,474 couple families with dependent children.

Immigration: Greater London

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of international migrants in  (a) London and  (b) Wimbledon constituency under (i) the International Passenger Survey and (ii) the proposed Labour Force Survey calculation method.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 June 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to reply to your question regarding the estimates made of the number of international migrants in (a) London and (b) Wimbledon constituency under (i) the International Passenger Survey and (ii) the proposed Labour Force Survey calculation method. (143012)
	ONS has recently published material detailing a number of proposed improvements to the methods used to estimate the effect of international migration on population. Both the existing method and the planned improvements make use of the International Passenger Survey (IPS). One of the planned improvements is to use the Labour Force Survey to distribute IPS estimates of international migration into the UK between the constituent countries of the UK, and between government office regions within England. Information on this is available at the following page of the National Statistics website: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vlnk=14834.
	Under the existing methods, the net effect of international migration on the population of London was to add 396,000 people to the population between mid-2002 and mid-2005. Under the proposed methods, the indicative net effect of migration would be to add 336,000 to London's population over this period.
	ONS does not produce migration estimates for parliamentary constituencies.

Lymphoma

Ian Gibson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many people were diagnosed with lymphoma in each of the last 21 years;
	(2)  how many people died from lymphoma in each of the last 21 years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated 19 June 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent questions asking how many people were diagnosed with, and how many people died from, lymphoma in each of the last 21 years. I am replying in her absence. (142935, 142936)
	The most recent year for which figures are available is 2004 for incidence and 2005 for mortality. The table below shows the number of newly diagnosed cases and deaths from Hodgkin's disease and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in England from 1984 to the most recent year. These cancers have been presented separately as they have very different epidemiological characteristics and treatments.
	
		
			  Number of newly diagnosed cases and deaths from Hodgkin's disease( 1)  and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma( 2)  England, 1984 to 2005( 3) 
			   Hodgkin's disease  Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma 
			   Newly diagnosed cases  Deaths  Newly diagnosed cases  Deaths 
			 1984 1,148 448 4,225 2,584 
			 1985 1,250 433 4,671 2,680 
			 1986 1,185 426 4,757 2,818 
			 1987 1,137 433 5,114 3,023 
			 1988 1,114 401 5,570 3,243 
			 1989 1,100 362 5,601 3,278 
			 1990 1,130 348 5,733 3,355 
			 1991 1,019 341 6,080 3,470 
			 1992 1,154 364 6,253 3,583 
			 1993 1,108 326 6,303 3,544 
			 1994 1,104 252 6,669 3,591 
			 1995 1,063 281 6,559 3,727 
			 1996 1,054 275 6,607 3,690 
			 1997 1,068 245 6,821 3,677 
			 1998 1,187 246 7,187 3,720 
			 1999 1,150 226 7,646 3,762 
			 2000 1,254 223 7,811 3,785 
			 2001 1,176 211 7,963 3,834 
			 2002 1,228 238 7,916 3,984 
			 2003 1,124 270 8,256 3,886 
			 2004 1,257 265 8,433 3,720 
			 2005 Not available 232 Not available 3,756 
			 (1 )Selected using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) code 201 for the years 1984 to 1994 for newly diagnosed cases, and from 1984 to 2000 for deaths, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code C81 from 1995 onwards for newly diagnosed cases and from 2001 onwards for deaths. (2) Selected using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 200, 202 for the years 1984 to 1994 for newly diagnosed cases, and from 1984 to 2000 for deaths, and Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes C82-C85, C91.4 and C96 from 1995 onwards for newly diagnosed cases and ICD-10 codes C82-C85 from 2001 onwards for deaths. The introduction of ICD-10 for coding cause of death in 2001 means that figures are not completely comparable with data for years prior to this date. Comparisons between the data before and after 2001 should therefore be interpreted with caution. An article specifically examining the effect of the change in classification for cancer trends in England and Wales was published in Health Statistics Quarterly 23. * More information about these changes for England and Wales can be found on the National Statistics website at www.statistics.gov.uk/icd10mortality. (3 )Figures are for registrations of newly diagnosed cases in each calendar year between 1984 and 2004, and for registrations of death in each calendar year between 1984 and 1992 and for occurrences of death in each calendar year from 1993 onwards. * Brock A, Griffiths C, Rooney C (2004) The effect of the introduction of ICD-10 on cancer mortality trends in England and Wales. Health Statistics Quarterly 23, 7-17.

Lymphoma

Ian Gibson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the five year survival rates were for lymphoma in each of the last 21 years.

John Healey: The information requested fails within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 19 June 2007:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the five year survival rates were for lymphoma in each of the last 21 years. (142937)
	The latest available five-year survival rates for selected major cancers in England are for adult patients (aged 15-99 years) diagnosed during 1998-2001 and followed up to the end of 2003. Survival was calculated for Hodgkin's disease and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma separately. Survival rates for patients diagnosed between 1986 and 2001 are given in the table below.
	
		
			  Five-year age-standardised( 1)  relative survival (percentage) for adult patients( 2)  diagnosed during 1986-2001 by selected cancers( 3) , by sex 
			   Diagnosis years 
			   1986-1990 (England and Wales)  1991-1995 (England and Wales)  1996-1999 (England and Wales)  1998-2001 (England) 
			  Hodgkin's disease 
			 Men 75 75 80 80 
			 Women 75 76 80 82 
			  Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma 
			 Men 45 43 47 51 
			 Women 45 49 52 55 
			 (1) As cancer survival varies with age at diagnosis, the relative rates for all ages (15-99) have been age-standardised to control for changes in the age profile of cancer patients over time, thus making them comparable with previously published figures.  (2) Aged 15-99 years.  (3) Cancers registered in from 1995 are defined by codes in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD10). Therefore, Hodgkin's disease is defined by code C81 and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma by codes C82-C85. Cancers registered before 1995 are defined by codes in the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD9). Therefore, Hodgkin's disease is defined by code 201 and Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma by codes 200 and 202.

Lyons Inquiry

Michael Gove: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans his Department has to respond formally to the Lyons inquiry into local government.

John Healey: The Government responded to a number of Sir Michael's findings in Budget 2007. His work also played a major contribution in the development of the Local Government White Paper, which is being implemented through the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill. His report and recommendations will continue to inform the development of Government policy.

Public Expenditure

Peter Bone: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the per capita public expenditure was in  (a) the East Midlands and  (b) the UK in the last period for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: Information on total identifiable expenditure per capita for each region of England and for the UK is set out in the HM Treasury publication, Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) 2007, May 2007. This provides outturn data from 2001-02 to 2005-06 and is available at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/economic_data_and_tools/finance_spending_statistics/pes_publications/pespub_pesa07.cfm

Revenue and Customs: Consultants

Alan Meale: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much HM Revenue and Customs spent on consultants in each of the last two years, broken down by  (a) division,  (b) area and  (c) type of work commissioned.

Dawn Primarolo: During the year 2005-06 HMRC spent a total of 106,000,000 on consultancy requirements across the categories of Business, HR, Legal and IT consultancy. At this time the two former departments (HM Customs and Excise and Inland Revenue) were mid-transformation and merging systems and procedures. HMRC accounting function for this period does not enable us to identify the division (directorate) who commissioned the work.
	Audited figures for 2006-07 are not available.

Revenue and Customs: Mansfield

Alan Meale: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2007,  Official Report, columns 1312-3W, on Revenue and Customs: Mansfield, what the costs were for April 2006 to April 2007.

Dawn Primarolo: The fixed accommodation running costs for Chaucer House, Mansfield for 2006-07 are:
	
		
			  April to March  Cost (net of VAT)  () 
			 2006-07 111,786.83 
		
	
	This cost is made up of the PFI unitary charge for the provision (by Mapeley) of the serviced accommodation at this address, the business rates and the utilities for the year. The additional cost over the figure previously reported on 27 February 2007 is the March utilities; this was not available at that time.

Strokes: Greater London

David Evennett: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many deaths from stroke there were in London in each of the last five years, broken down by primary care trust area.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Jil Matheson, dated 19 June 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many deaths from stroke there were in London in each of the last five years, broken down by primary care trust area. I am replying in her absence. (143018)
	The table attached provides the number of deaths where stroke was the underlying cause of death in each primary care organisation(1) in London, for 2001 to 2005 (the latest year available).
	(1) Primary care organisations consist of Primary Care Trusts and Care Trusts.
	
		
			  Table 1: Number of deaths where stroke was the underlying cause of death,( 1)  primary care organisations in London,( 2)  2001 to 2005( 3) 
			  Deaths (persons) 
			  Primary care organisation  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Barking and Dagenham 162 144 150 130 127 
			 Barnet 302 267 255 216 228 
			 Bexley 225 234 254 218 180 
			 Brent Teaching 183 145 160 157 153 
			 Bromley 324 269 300 252 264 
			 Camden 143 105 104 121 109 
			 City and Hackney Teaching 113 110 103 110 90 
			 Croydon 301 279 282 244 241 
			 Ealing 190 196 186 184 153 
			 Enfield 244 255 257 214 184 
			 Greenwich Teaching 222 221 243 179 172 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 109 87 91 78 70 
			 Haringey Teaching 157 157 136 123 104 
			 Harrow 177 151 172 143 145 
			 Havering 243 239 241 204 212 
			 Hillingdon 210 181 208 184 158 
			 Hounslow 157 171 144 153 140 
			 Islington 107 90 112 79 102 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 76 72 86 86 71 
			 Kingston 163 132 155 135 117 
			 Lambeth 174 139 158 179 183 
			 Lewisham 201 203 191 193 177 
			 Newham 143 157 141 120 142 
			 Redbridge 207 193 199 218 201 
			 Richmond and Twickenham 145 138 153 134 112 
			 Southwark 149 159 146 130 126 
			 Sutton and Merton 349 317 386 291 298 
			 Tower Hamlets 100 110 110 102 95 
			 Waltham Forest 177 169 158 153 138 
			 Wandsworth 188 196 174 157 164 
			 Westminster 128 136 145 111 101 
			 London 5,769 5,422 5,600 4,998 4,757 
			 (1) Cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10), codes I60-I69. (2) Based on primary care organisation boundaries as of October 2006. (3) Figures are for deaths registered in each calendar year.

Taxation: Empty Property

Anne Main: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the change in tax revenue from  (a) small and medium-sized and  (b) large enterprises arising from the end of the 50 per cent. rate of relief on empty commercial properties; what the evidential basis was for setting the period for 100 per cent. relief at three months; what consideration was given to extending the three month 100 per cent. relief period in taking the decision to remove the subsequent 50 per cent. rate; and what the evidential basis was for setting the period for 100 per cent. tax relief for warehouses and factories at six months.

John Healey: Yield forecasts for this reform were published in Budget 2007. Further information on the evidence base for the reform and the options that were considered can be found in the regulatory impact assessment, published on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/index.asp?id=1510357.

Valuation Office Agency: Valuebill

Michael Gove: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with which local authorities the Valuation Office Agency communicates using Valuebill.

Dawn Primarolo: Valuebill facilitates improved communication with all billing authorities in England and Wales.

Welfare Tax Credits

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will investigate the delay in resolving the tax credit case of Mrs. Kim Young.

Dawn Primarolo: I understand that the hon. Member's constituency office has spoken recently with the Tax Credit Office (TCO) MP Hotline about his constituent's case. TCO apologised and explained they are working to resolve the problems affecting Mrs. Young's case which is among those I referred to in the answer I gave the hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire (Mr. Vara) on 18 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1502W.

Pensions: Rebates

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultations there were between  (a) officials and  (b) Ministers in his Department and (i) officials and (ii) Ministers of the Department for Work and Pensions in (A) 2005 and (B) 2006 before the decision not to implement fully the recommendations of the Government Actuarial Department on contracted-out rebates for salary-related pension schemes; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: I have been asked to reply.
	Decisions on the level of contracted-out national insurance rebates are a matter for the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. The current contracted-out rebate rates were set out in the Secretary of State's report laid before each House of Parliament on 1 March 2006 and reflected in the rebate Order made on 30 March 2006. This report gave due consideration to the report of the Government Actuary and to other considerations such as the fiscal conditions which prevailed at the time. As with all decisions which have a major impact on public expenditure, including previous rebate reviews, the recommended rates were agreed with HM Treasury.
	The Secretary of State has departed from the rebate rates recommended by the Government Actuary on two occasions in the period covered by the question, in addition to the one where the Government Actuary's recommendation for rebate rates from 2007 was not fully implemented. The two occasions were the application of a 9.0 per cent. cap on age-related percentages for contracted-out DC schemes for the period 1999-2000 to 2001-02 tax year, and the application of a 10.5 per cent. cap from 2002-03 to 2006-07.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agriculture: Subsidies

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will ensure that at least 96 per cent. of the 2006 Single Farm Payment will be paid by the end of June payment window; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: As of 13 June, the Rural Payments Agency had paid more than 94 per cent. of the amount due to claimants under the 2006 Single Payment Scheme. The Agency is working hard to meet the EU target of paying 96.14 per cent. of claim value by the end of June.

Algae

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effects of algal blooms on human health in the coastal areas covered by the North Western and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee.

Ben Bradshaw: My Department and I understand the Welsh Assembly Government (who are responsible for water quality in and around Wales) do not directly carry out such assessments.
	I am advised by the Environment Agency that while some species of potentially toxic algae are found in the north-west area, they are seldom at significant concentrations and therefore do not pose any risk to human health.

Algae

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the extent to which agricultural nitrates are contributing to algal blooms in the area covered by the North Western and North Wales Sea Fisheries Committee.

Ben Bradshaw: My Department and I understand the Welsh Assembly Government (who are responsible for water quality in and around Wales) do not directly carry out such assessments.
	The eutrophication status (of which algal blooms are a consideration) of the waters around the UK coastline is reviewed on a regular basis by the Environment Agency (England and Wales) for the purposes of the nitrate and urban waste water treatment directives. It is also reviewed by the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS), for the Convention on the Prevention of Pollution of the Environment of the North East Atlantic (OSPAR) Convention. The latest review under the directives was 2005-06 and under OSPAR was 2002, with a further OSPAR review being completed in the spring of 2007.
	Algal blooms in coastal waters are a natural phenomenon. They can be exacerbated by nutrient pollution from human activities e.g. agricultural practices and from sewage. The links between nutrient enrichment and the occurrence of marine algal blooms are complex and an area of continuing research.
	The Environment Agency inform me that none of the north-west coastal and marine waters in this Sea Fisheries Committee area are identified as at risk from nutrients in water framework directive risk assessments carried out between 2003-05. These will be reviewed as part of ongoing work on the water framework directive.

Beekeeping: Training

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will bring forward plans  (a) to promote training in apiculture and  (b) to extend the role of his Department's Bee Unit.

Barry Gardiner: The National Bee Unit organises a large number of training courses for beekeepers and assists with beekeeper associations' training and examination programme. 600 to 700 training events are held each year. The NBU is currently developing the reach of its training to increase awareness and control of pests and diseases among all beekeepers.

Biodiversity

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures he plans to take to ensure that those biodiversity objectives that can only be delivered through targeted initiatives are the subject of the transfer of existing agri-environmental agreements into the Higher Level Scheme.

Barry Gardiner: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 8 May 2007,  Official Report, column 28W.

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Inquiry

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost was of the Phillips Inquiry into bovine spongiform encephalopathy.

Ben Bradshaw: The Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Inquiry, chaired by Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, cost approximately 30 million. This includes the cost of the inquiry itself, together with the costs of liaison units and legal support for witnesses from all the main Departments involved.

Central Heating: Pensioners

Tony Baldry: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many central heating systems have been installed for  (a) pensioners on pension credit and  (b) all other pensioners under the Warm Front and Home Heat programmes since January 2006.

Ian Pearson: The Government's main programme for tackling fuel poverty in England is Warm Front.
	Since January 2006, 31,973 households received central heating systems under the Warm Front scheme having declared pension credit as the qualifying benefit.
	Over the same period, 65,399 pensioner households declaring other qualifying benefits received a central heating system from Warm Front.

Cetaceans

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of cetaceans killed or injured in the sea which are washed ashore.

Ben Bradshaw: The exact number of cetaceans killed or injured at sea every year is unknown, as it is not feasible to monitor all cetacean deaths. As such, I am unable to estimate the proportion of cetaceans killed or injured at sea that are washed ashore. In any event, this will be influenced by several factors, including distance from shore and the prevailing weather and sea conditions over a period of time.
	For nearly 15 years the Government have funded studies by the Natural History Museum and the Institute of Zoology (IoZ) on causes of death and trends in numbers of stranded cetaceans around the UK coastline. Post-mortems are carried out on a selected number of the stranded carcases each year.
	The two species that are more commonly reported as stranded along the UK coastline are the harbour porpoise and the common dolphin. The annual proportion of UK-stranded harbour porpoises diagnosed as by-catches varied between 11 per cent. and 25 per cent. in the 2002-06 period. The proportion of UK-stranded common dolphins diagnosed as by-catch varied between 57-77 per cent. for the same period. The majority of these by-catches (for both species) occurred in SW England during the winter months. Although the annual numbers of harbour porpoises and common dolphin strandings reported in SW England has increased since the 1990s, a number of factors (particularly increased observer effort and possible changes in abundance and distribution of these species) are suspected to have played a role in this increase.

Cetaceans

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of bottle nose and common dolphins and harbour porpoises which will be killed or injured by foreign pair trawlers fishing within the UK 12 mile limit in the next 12 months.

Ben Bradshaw: My Department funds research which is carried out by the Sea Mammal Research Unit to monitor by-catch in all relevant UK fishery sectors, including the bass pair trawl fishery.
	Results for the 2004-05 pair trawl fishery for bass show a marked decrease from the preceding year for the total numbers of dolphins observed as by-catch and the number of dolphins stranding in the south west coast has similarly decreased this year. It is, however, too early, on the basis of one year's data alone, to link these reductions to the 12 mile ban. Further analysis of the effectiveness of the 12 mile ban on sea bass pair trawling will be undertaken as more data become available. The funding for cetacean by-catch and strandings monitoring has been extended to 2010. 2005-06 survey data are being analysed and the results will be published in the near future.

Cetaceans

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he has the power to close UK fisheries to foreign-registered pair trawlers to protect dolphins and porpoises.

Ben Bradshaw: The Common Fisheries Policy regulation, Council Regulation 2371/2002, provides a number of possible responses to threats faced in relation to fishing activities:
	 (i) Article 7: Commission emergency powers
	These can be used at the request of a Member State where there is a serious threat to the conservation of stocks or the marine environment from the impact of fishing requiring immediate action. The Commission has emergency powers to put in place measures for 6 months applicable to all Member States. Measures are also renewable for a further 6 months. Member states have a right to submit written comments on the request to the Commission. The Commission must decide upon the Member State's request for action within 15 days of receipt. If the Commission decides to take emergency action any Member State can refer the decision to the Council. The Council, acting under qualified majority voting procedures, may take a different decision within one month of the referral.
	This article was used successfully by the UK in 2003 to secure protection for the Darwin Mounds when we discovered it was at risk from damaging fishing activities.
	 (ii) Article 8: Member State emergency measures
	These measures can be used by a Member State to take action, subject to confirmation, cancellation or amendment by the Commission, where there is a serious and unforeseen threat to stocks or to the marine environment. Measures would apply to other Member States' vessels but, again, as under Article 7, other Member States have the right to comment and refer the Commission decision on the Member State request to the Council of Ministers. Measures last for 3 months and are non-renewable.
	 (iii) Article 9: Member State measures within 12 miles
	This article provides for Member States to take measures for the conservation of stocks and to minimise the impact of fishing on the marine environment within 12 nautical miles of baselines. Where such measures are liable to affect vessels of other Member States (that is, in practice, those that have historic rights of access under the CFP to the 6-12 nautical mile zone), as with Articles 7 and 8, they are subject to approval by the Commission, open to comment from other Member States and any Commission decision can be referred to the Council of Ministers.

Cetaceans

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in which months dolphins and porpoises are most likely to be found washed up on British beaches having been killed or injured by foreign-registered pair trawlers.

Ben Bradshaw: The pair trawling sea bass fishery season usually starts in November and continues until April and takes place in the south-west approaches.
	From 1 November 2004 to 4 March 2005, a total of 90 cetaceans were reported as stranded along the south coast. Not all of these strandings can be solely attributed to the pair trawling sea bass fishery, and the figures include stranded dead cetaceans, live strandings and carcases seen floating at sea. Only 12 of the 90 cetaceans that were stranded were definitely confirmed as by-catch. These data were obtained under the DEFRA-funded Cetacean and Turtle Strandings Scheme, carried out by the Natural History Museum in partnership with the Institute of Zoology, Marine Environmental Monitoring and Scottish Agricultural College.

Departments: Advertising

David Heath: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much revenue his Department received from advertisements on his Department's  (a) public information leaflets and  (b) public websites in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: Neither public information leaflets issued by the Department nor public websites operated by the Department carry advertisements from which revenue is derived.

Departments: Manpower

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff funded by the public purse in the Central Science Laboratory are classified as people without posts.

Barry Gardiner: The response from the Central Science Laboratory to this question is a nil return.

Departments: Official Cars

Si�n Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what make and model of car  (a) he and  (b) each Minister in his Department selected as their official ministerial car; and what criteria were used when making the decision in each case.

Barry Gardiner: Defra's official ministerial cars are all hybrid, with four Toyota Prius cars and one Honda Civic Hybrid.
	The Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) is responsible for providing ministerial cars in line with the Ministerial Code and the Prime Minister's guidance Travel by Ministers.
	GCDA advises the Prime Minister on the suitability of cars for inclusion in his guidance, taking into account a number of criteria when assessing suitable cars including their environmental impact, running and maintenance costs and overall suitability as a ministerial car.

Departments: Official Residences

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list the official ministerial residences allocated to Ministers in his Department; and what the total annual cost is of running each.

Barry Gardiner: There are no official ministerial residencies allocated to Ministers in this Department.

Departments: Public Relations

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent by his Department on public relations in each of the last five years.

Barry Gardiner: With regard to public relations expenditure incurred by Defra's Communications Directorate over the last five years, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for North Thanet (Mr. Gale) on 6 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 1074-75W.
	Further to this, in the financial year 2006/07 public relations expenditure for activity conducted via the Department's central Communications Directorate's procurement arrangements was as follows:
	
		
			  Agency  Project  Cost () 
			 Media Moguls Personal Food Imports 45,000 
			 Trimedia Harrison Cowley Climate Change Radio Media 60,300 
			 Amazon Sustainable Development 120,000 
			 Weber Shandwick Climate Change 12,600 
		
	
	Inclusion of non-centralised Defra spend, inclusive of agencies and NDPBs, would incur disproportionate cost.

Departments: Public Transport

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will list the occasions during 2007 when he has used  (a) rail services,  (b) the London underground,  (c) tram or light railway services and  (d) buses in connection with his ministerial duties.

Barry Gardiner: The details requested are set out below:
	 Rail services
	3 January
	29 January
	I February
	8 February
	20 February
	26 February
	5 March
	9 March
	15 March
	19 March
	30 March
	25 April
	11 May
	15 May
	18 May
	24 May
	1 June
	4 June
	 London  u nderground
	6 February
	3 May
	12 May
	17 May.

Departments: Publicity

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which  (a) advertising agencies and  (b) other organisations supplied consultancy services for advertising campaigns for (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies in each of the last five years; and what the cost of these services was.

Barry Gardiner: From its inception in 2001 to 2003-04, the Department did not record separate advertising costs as part of its overall communications expenditure. The figures for key advertising campaigns from 2004-05 are as follows.
	
		
			 
			 Personal food imports 2004-05 92,343 
			 Personal food imports 2005-06 94,278 
			 Personal food imports 2006-07 81,732 
			 Avian flu 2005-06 185,976 
		
	
	The Department procures its advertising services from the Central Office of Information (COI). Advertising agencies are selected from the COI rosters and supply their services to the COI, not to Defra directly. Personal Food Imports advertising was conducted by Media Moguls and Avian Flu advertising was conducted by Barkers.
	No other organisations have supplied advertising services to the Department.
	For costs for Defra's delivery bodies, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Martin Horwood) on 6 March 2007,  Official Report, columns 1819-22W.

Domestic Wastes: Waste Disposal

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will publish the most recent figures from WasteDataFlow showing the net cost of household waste collection for each local waste collection authority in England in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Ben Bradshaw: Data held on WasteDataFlow for 2005-06 on the cost of local authority waste collections in England are incomplete, due to low response rates for this particular question.
	While 100 per cent. of authorities reported tonnage data required under the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme, not all authorities completed the voluntary financial questions. However, local authorities are required to provide annual spending and financing data to the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), and their Revenue Outturn data include the cost of waste collection and disposal (RO5). The DCLG should therefore be able to provide complete data on the net costs incurred by local authorities for their waste collection services.
	Further information is available on the Local Government Finance Statistics website at the following address:
	http://www.local.odpm.gov.uk/finance/stats/index.htm

Domestic Wastes: Waste Disposal

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research and statistical data gathering has been conducted by his Department and its agencies into the proportion of household rubbish collected for recycling that is not recycled.

Ben Bradshaw: Local authorities are required to report quarterly data on municipal waste (encompassing household waste) to WasteDataFlow. When reporting data, authorities should specify the amount of waste collected for recycling that is subsequently rejected, at the point of collection, at a Materials Recycling Facility (MRF), or at the gate of the reprocessor. The data reported to WasteDataFlow are used by the Environment Agency (EA) and Defra to monitor the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme.
	The EA has also carried out a survey on Household Waste Materials Reclamation Facilities in England and Wales. The EA identified and visited about 80 candidate sites to ascertain recovery and reject levels at each site, verifying this information via a visual inspection of bale quality and the overall state of each facility. The overall typical spread of reject rates for MRFs was from 5 per cent. to 25 per cent., with 10 to 15 per cent. being an average. Around one million tonnes of municipal waste were reported to WasteDataFlow as being processed by an MRF.
	Analysis by the Waste and Resources Action Programme, based on a range of data sources, suggests that a conservative estimate of the amount of household waste collected for recycling which is not recycled, is around 5 to 10 per cent. In 2005-06, a total of 6.87 million tonnes of waste from household sources was collected for recycling.

Domestic Wastes: Waste Disposal

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the appropriateness of alternate weekly collections of household rubbish for  (a) urban,  (b) rural and  (c) suburban communities.

Ben Bradshaw: No such assessment has been made by my Department.
	The Environmental Protection Act 1990 places a duty on all waste collection authorities to arrange for the collection of household waste, but it does not stipulate how often collections should occur.
	Decisions on the best way to collect waste are rightly a matter for local authorities, not central Government. Local authorities are therefore free to choose how they fulfil their waste collection duties, including the frequency, priority, degree of effort and resources required. In practice, local authorities considering alternate weekly collection of household waste are expected to take into account factors such as the type of housing stock in the local area, as well as processing facilities available.

Domestic Wastes: Waste Disposal

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how much the Waste and Resources Action Programme has paid to the Eunomia consultancy; and for what purpose;
	(2)  what the procurement process was by which the Eunomia consultancy was selected to undertake research into charging for the collection of household rubbish;
	(3)  how much the Eunomia consultancy was paid for its research into new waste charges for the collection of household rubbish.

Ben Bradshaw: Since its inception in 2001, the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) has awarded work to a total value of 349,000 (including VAT) to Eunomia Research  Consulting Ltd. This has covered a number of projects as follows:
	i) 'Managing Biowastes from Households in the UK: Cost Benefit Analysis' (June 2007), and the related study, 'Dealing with Food Waste in the UK' (March 2007).
	ii) Technical support to two local authority partners under WRAP's Food Waste Collections Trials project.
	iii) Technical support to local authorities under the WRAP ROTATE programmeseven projects in total.
	iv) Technical report: 'Resources from waste in the UK: A Forward Look' (2005).
	v) Technical report: 'Development of Recycling and Material Markets in the UK' (2002).
	vi) Technical report: 'The Size of the UK Recycling and Re-use Industry' (2002).
	Eunomia Consultancy was selected following a competitive tendering exercise under the call-off contract established as part of Defra's Waste Implementation Programme. The purpose of the call-off contract is to provide consultancy support for projects requiring specialist input over a short working programme timescale. Three contractors available under the call-off contract submitted tenders for the work. These were analysed using Defra's standard tender appraisal procedure.
	The total cost of work undertaken by Eunomia Consulting on the project 'Modelling the Impact of Household Charging', was 41,615.00, excluding VAT.

Domestic Wastes: Waste Disposal

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what records  (a) his Department and  (b) the Waste and Resources Action Programme holds of the number of local authorities which have introduced alternate weekly collection of household rubbish and then switched back to weekly collections.

Ben Bradshaw: No records are held, either by this Department or by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), specifically on local authorities (LAs) which have introduced alternate weekly collection of household waste and subsequently reverted to weekly collections.
	WRAP is aware of a number of LAs providing alternate weekly collection (AWC) of household waste and provides support and guidance to these LAs on best practice in operating such a service.
	WRAP's records represent our best understanding of LAs operating or implementing AWC schemes. However, due to the often rapid changes in this area, they are unlikely to be completely up to date.

Domestic Wastes: Waste Disposal

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies have given to local authorities in relation to their powers to inspect the contents of household rubbish bins.

Ben Bradshaw: No specific guidance has been issued either by my Department or its agencies on inspecting the contents of household rubbish bins. Section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act (ERA) empowers local authorities to specify the conditions of their waste collection service and places a duty on them to inform householders of those conditions. This usually takes the form of a section 46 notice. Under these powers, local authorities can specify the number, size, construction and maintenance of receptacles, what can be placed in each, and where and when they are to be placed for collection. Authorities can also require household waste to be treated prior to placing it in a receptacle.
	Any person found in breach of the conditions set in a section 46 notice can be prosecuted and, if convicted, is liable to a fine of up to 1,000. The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 also gives local authorities the power to issue fixed penalty notices to those breaching a section 46 notice, as an alternative to prosecution under section 46(6) of the EPA.

Domestic Wastes: Waste Disposal

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what scientific research has been conducted by  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies into alternate weekly collections of household rubbish.

Ben Bradshaw: An independent, DEFRA-funded research study was carried out by Enviros Consulting and Cranfield university in 2006 to assess the health impacts of alternate weekly collection (AWC).
	The final report, Health Impact assessment of alternate week waste collections of biodegradable waste, identified no evidence of adverse health impacts resulting from AWC of household waste.
	No scientific research has been conducted by DEFRA's agencies on AWC. However, the Waste and Resources Action Programme is currently updating its guidance to local authorities on the design and implementation of AWC services and will be drawing on the experiences of authorities that have already implemented such schemes.

Domestic Wastes: Waste Disposal

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of fly-tipping incidents recorded on the Flycapture database in the last year for which figures are available were for  (a) householders putting out their rubbish on the wrong day and  (b) householders breaching a no side collection policy.

Ben Bradshaw: The data requested are not available. Flycapture does not record incidents of householders putting their waste out on the wrong day (in breach of notices issued under section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990) separately from other incidents of fly-tipping.
	Flycapture does not record details of householders breaching a no side waste collection policy.

Domestic Wastes: Waste Management

Martin Horwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the amount of waste produced per person in local authorities operating  (a) alternate weekly collections,  (b) no side waste policies and  (c) traditional weekly collections.

Ben Bradshaw: No such estimates have been made by my Department.
	Data on waste produced per person are collected as part of local authorities' statutory performance monitoring. However, the Government do not keep data on the waste collection policies chosen by individual authorities. It is, rightly, the responsibility of individual local authorities to decide on the most appropriate waste collection policies for their communities.

Domestic Wastes: Waste Management

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received on the incidence of flies and vermin in areas that have introduced an alternate weekly collection of household waste.

Ben Bradshaw: Some representations, in the form of parliamentary questions and correspondence, have been received by my Department from people concerned about possible links between the alternate weekly collection of waste and increases in flies and vermin.
	There is no evidence in published studies to indicate a causal link between an increase in flies or rodents as a result of alternate week collection. The characteristics of a location will influence the rodent population and simple hygiene practices can directly prevent or reduce rat and fly populations. An independent, DEFRA-funded research study on the use of alternate weekly collection services, carried out by Enviros Consulting and Cranfield university in 2006, drew the same conclusions.
	Proper design of an alternate weekly collection service should avoid any increase in nuisance to householders. The waste and resources action programme is currently updating its guidance for local authorities on the design and implementation of alternate weekly collection services, in order to minimise nuisance and health risks.

Energy: Conservation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on green workplace initiatives.

Ian Pearson: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, and Defra Ministers, have held discussions recently with colleagues from other Departments, such as the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department for Work and Pensions, on the subject of greening the workplace, as part of the wider discussions on climate change. In addition, Defra co-chairs the Trade Union Sustainable Development Advisory Committee (TUSDAC) with the General Secretary of Prospect. Green workplace, energy and climate change issues are raised through this forum.

Energy: Manufacturing Industries

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on development of a green manufacturing strategy.

Ian Pearson: Defra Ministers and officials hold regular discussions with the Department of Trade and Industry on various aspects of the greener business agenda and promoting a low carbon, low waste economy. This is reflected in the Energy White Paper and Waste Strategy which build on the Government's broader Sustainable Development Strategy.
	The Secretaries of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and for Trade and Industry jointly chair the Commission on Environmental Markets and Economic Performance. The commission was established to advise the UK on the opportunity that environmental protection can present for wealth creation and employment growth.

Environmental Protection: Consultants

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department and its agencies spent on commissioning research or consultancy from Be-Environmental in the last three years; and for what purposes.

Barry Gardiner: DEFRA and its agencies have spent 242,949 on commissioning research or consultancy from Be-Environmental since the beginning of the 2004-05 financial year. This was for work in the waste sector including: support to local authorities to improve their waste management services; research; performance reviews of DEFRA programmes and projects; the planning and facilitation of events and focus groups to improve DEFRA programmes; website development; and support to DEFRA's Waste and Resources Research and Development Strategy.

Fisheries: EC Action

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures he plans to take to assist the recovery of the stock of the European eel; when he expects them to be  (a) approved by the European Council and  (b) implemented; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: On 11 June at the Agriculture and Fisheries Council European Ministers accepted unanimously a recovery plan for the European eel. This plan has been in development since 2003 and its agreement at Council was vital if we are to see a recovery of a stock that has seen recruitment drop to 1-5 per cent. of historic level (pre-1980s).
	Under the recovery plan member states must, in the long term, achieve 40 per cent. escapement of silver eel from each river basin district (or as an average across the member state) compared to the level before man's intervention. They must also cut fishing effort/catches in Community maritime waters by 50 per cent. and reserve, over time, 60 per cent. of glass (juvenile) eel for restocking in European waters.
	Fishing for eel can continue if a member state can reliably demonstrate that the rivers within its river basin district allowor a recovery plan is in place to allowthe management target to be met.
	Member states must submit an eel management plan for each eel river basin to the European Commission by 31 December 2008, then have them approved by the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries, and implemented by 1 July 2009.

Fisheries: Quotas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what stocks fished by the UK  (a) over-10 metre fleet and  (b) under-10 metre fleet are (i) within safe biological limits and (ii) outside safe biological limits, and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The following table records the status of the 47 finfish stocks of most interest to the UK for 2006. The complete picture for 2007 will not be available until after the second instalment of the annual ICES advice is produced in October. Since both segments of the fleet (under-10 and over-10 metre vessels) tend to target similar species, no distinction is made between the stocks fished by each.
	
		
			  ICES area  Stock  2006 status 
			 IV Cod (inc. III a and VII d) A 
			  Haddock (inc. III a) B 
			  Herring (inc. III a and VII d) B 
			  Norway Pout (inc. III a) A 
			  Plaice A 
			  Saithe (inc. III a and VI) B 
			  Sandeel North and South A 
			  Sandeel Shetland C 
			  Sole A 
			  Sprat C 
			  Whiting (inc. VII d) D 
			
			 VI a Anglerfish (inc. VI b and IV) C 
			  Cod A 
			  Haddock B 
			  Herring Clyde D 
			  Herring North D 
			  Herring VI a (South) and VII b, c D 
			  Megrim (inc. VI b) C 
			  Sandeel D 
			  Whiting D 
			
			 VI b Cod D 
			  Haddock B 
			  Whiting D 
			
			 VII a Cod A 
			  Haddock C 
			  Herring D 
			  Plaice B 
			  Sole A 
			  Whiting D 
			
			 VII d Plaice D 
			  Sole B 
			
			 VII de Sprat D 
			
			 VII b-k Haddock D 
			
			 VII e Plaice A 
			  Sole A 
			
			 VII e-k Cod A 
			  Whiting D 
			
			 VII fg Plaice A 
			  Sole B 
			
			 VII fgj Herring A 
			
			 Western Angler (Budegassa) VII b-k and VIII a, b B 
			  Angler (Piscatorius) VII b-k and VII a, b B 
			  Hake (Northern) B 
			  Horse Mackerel C 
			  Mackerel (NE Atlantic) D 
			  Megrim VII and VIII a, b, d D 
			
			 Combined Blue Whiting B 
			  Key to status: Number of stocks outside safe biological limits13 (coded A) Number of stocks within safe biological limits12 (coded B) Number of stocks where safe biological limits are not defined6 (coded C) Number of stocks where no scientific assessment made16 (coded D) Total number of stocks47 Percentage within safe biological limits (excluding categories C and D)48 per cent.

Fisheries: Quotas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to publish proposals to change the way that fishing quota is allocated in the UK for  (a) the under-10 metre fleet and  (b) the over-10 metre fleet.

Ben Bradshaw: Fisheries administrations are currently considering the future quota management arrangements for both the over and the under 10 metre fleets and expect to consult interested parties on options later this year.

Fisheries: Quotas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects the European Commission to publish its 2008 fishing opportunities proposals for stocks fished by UK vessels.

Ben Bradshaw: The latest information from the Commission is that they intend to prepare two proposals for regulations concerning fishing opportunities: one relating to stocks in the Baltic sea to be presented in September 2007; and the other covering stocks in the Northeast Atlantic in November 2007, following receipt of the second instalment of the annual scientific advice from ICES in October. New proposals about deep-sea stocks are unlikely, as Council Regulation (EC) No. 2015/2006, concerning fishing opportunities for deep-sea species, already covers both 2007 and 2008.

Fisheries: Quotas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it is his policy to support proposals to reduce total allowable catch and fishing opportunities for fish stocks outside safe biological limits at a rate in excess of 15 per cent. per year; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: In most cases, the UK seeks to follow the scientific advice from ICES on the appropriate catch level for a particular stock. However, there are some cases where, while accepting the ICES stock assessment, the UK does not agree with the management advice suggested by ICES. For example, additional information may be available from other sources, which suggests a different approach.

Fisheries: Quotas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the proposals in the Commission Communication, Fishing Opportunities for 2008: Policy Statement from the European Commission (COM(2007) 295 final).

Ben Bradshaw: The European Commission have asked for responses from member states by 31 July. Fisheries Departments are currently considering the text whilst consulting relevant stakeholders and the UK intends to provide a full response within the deadline.

Fisheries: Quotas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whom he will consult before submitting his response to the European Commission on its Communication, Fishing Opportunities for 2008: Policy Statement from the European Commission (COM(2007) 295 final).

Ben Bradshaw: My Department is currently consulting a range of fishing industry representatives (including those in the catching, processing and marketing sectors), scientists and environmental and consumer interests. Equivalent consultations are also being carried out in other parts of the UK by the Fisheries Departments in the Devolved Administrations.

Fisheries: Quotas

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the appropriate level for total allowable catch in 2008 in the North Sea for  (a) herring,  (b) cod,  (c) haddock,  (d) whiting,  (e) plaice and  (f) sole; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: ICES advice on the North Sea stocks mentioned was published on 8 June. The Government are considering that advice carefully and has not yet made an assessment of it.

Food: Prices

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the farmgate price of  (a) apples,  (b) beef,  (c) cabbages,  (d) carrots,  (e) chicken,  (f) eggs,  (g) lamb,  (h) onions,  (i) pork,  (j) potatoes,  (k) tomatoes,  (l) wheat and  (m) milk was in each year since 1995.

Barry Gardiner: The farmgate prices from 1995 up to 2006 for the listed commodities are shown in the following table. The prices for 2006 are provisional.
	
		
			  Commodity  Unit  1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006(1) 
			 Pork p per kg 119 138 111 81 79 95 98 93 103 103 102 104 
			 Beef p per kg 123 106 97 86 92 90 88 91 95 101 102 111 
			 Lamb p per kg 236 283 239 192 180 196 n/a 233 271 263 250 262 
			 Chicken p per kg 84 91 86 77 72 71 71 69 72 74 73 77 
			 Milk(2) p per litre 24.9 25.0 22.1 19.4 18.3 16.9 19.3 17.1 18.0 18.5 18.5 18.0 
			 Eggs p per dozen 38 46 39 36 34 39 41 42 46 49 45 48 
			 Apples dessert  per tonne 419 528 526 480 437 358 352 385 460 349 402 608 
			 Apples culinary  per tonne 243 279 322 341 249 215 176 286 472 259 351 356 
			 Carrots  per tonne 190 158 107 142 139 104 131 115 120 111 132 140 
			 Tomatoes  per tonne 585 742 547 595 576 752 725 794 1042 751 871 993 
			 Onions dry  per tonne 256 136 145 194 109 88 119 113 115 129 88 137 
			 Onions  per tonne 1,318 1,153 1,261 1,204 1,130 1,126 1,360 1,293 1,270 1,252 1,242 1,314 
			 Potatoes  per tonne 188 100 66 122 119 83 111 81 103 117 99 124 
			 Cabbages spring  per tonne 310 329 302 316 311 290 454 290 337 315 324 289 
			 Cabbages summer  per tonne 239 173 189 231 225 289 257 225 253 254 258 274 
			 Cabbages winter  per tonne 179 220 158 182 179 151 169 199 225 217 184 179 
			 Milling wheat  per tonne 120 122 101 84 81 74 82 71 83 86 73 83 
			 Feed wheat  per tonne 110 111 89 75 73 66 75 63 75 76 66 78 
			 n/a = not available (1) Provisional (2) Including bonus  Source: Agriculture in the United Kingdom, DEFRA publication; MLC for pork, beef and lamb.

Lessons Learned from Foot and Mouth Disease Outbreak Inquiry

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost was of the 2001 inquiry into Foot and Mouth disease.

Ben Bradshaw: There were two independent inquiries into the 2001 Foot and Mouth Crisis: a Lessons Learned Inquiry, chaired by Dr. Iain Anderson, and a scientific review by the Royal Society, chaired by Sir Brian Follett. The costs of the inquiries were as follows:
	
		
			
			 Royal Society Inquiry 425,000 
			 Anderson Inquiry 526,000 
			 DEFRA/MAFF Inquiry Liaison Unit 290,000 
			 Treasury Solicitor 13,787 
			 Total 1,254,787

Livestock: Transport

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance or regulations his Department has issued for the maximum and minimum acceptable temperatures for the rearing and transportation of livestock.

Ben Bradshaw: The Welfare of Farmed Animals (England) Regulations 2000 do not specify a maximum and minimum temperature for the rearing of livestock, but do require temperatures to be kept within limits which are not harmful to the animals.
	Council Regulation (EC) No 1/2005 on the protection of animals during transport and related operations, implemented in England by The Welfare of Animals (Transport) (England) Order 2006, requires all transporters of livestock to avoid animals suffering from extremes of temperature. For journeys of more than eight hours, vehicles must be designed to maintain temperatures of between 5C and 30C (+/- 5C). However, for journeys solely within the UK, we have a derogation from the lower end of the scale until the time the vehicle is first moved and during any loading/unloading at intermediate points. This is because livestock often housed outdoors are accustomed to cold weather and the animals' body heat quickly raises the temperature above 0C.
	Animal Health will write to transporters of farm livestock and horses with additional hot weather advice and to remind them of their responsibilities.

Lorries

Richard Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether his Department plans to take steps to prevent supermarket chains from stipulating that deliveries to their stores are made by HGVs of at least 7.5 tonnes gross weight; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: I have no plans to do so.

National Bee Unit: Finance

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the budget of the National Bee Unit at the Central Science Laboratory was in each of the last five years for which records are available; and if he will make a statement.

Barry Gardiner: The budget for the Central Science Laboratory National Bee Unit for the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Budget 
			 2003-04 1,496,172 
			 2004-05 1,493,567 
			 2005-06 1,691,470 
			 2006-07 1,832,180 
			 2007-08 1,822,142 
			  Notes: 1. Budget (= income) comprises DEFRA and Welsh Assembly government expenditure under memorandums of understanding with the CSL, DEFRA commissioned research plus an element of commercial income. 2. Income for 2007-08 is estimated.

National Bee Unit: Manpower

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people were employed in the National Bee Unit at the Central Science Laboratory in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Barry Gardiner: The number of people employed in the Central Science Laboratory National Bee Unit in the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			  Financial year  Numbers of staff  FTE 
			 2002-03 51 30.53 
			 2003-04 51 32.12 
			 2004-05 50 27.36 
			 2005-06 48 24.34 
			 2006-07 54 27.12 
			 2007-08 48 27.64 
			  Notes: 1. FTE is full time equivalents. Numbers of staff are expressed as FTEs as a number of the NBU staff including inspectors work seasonally or part-time during the course of the year. 2. Data for 2007-08 are forecast figures.

Nuclear Decommissioning Authority

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Government intend to publish the legal advice they have received on the decision to merge Nirex and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

Ian Pearson: The fact and substance of legal advice to the Government is confidential. It is covered by legal professional privilege. To enable the Government to obtain full and frank legal advice it is not disclosed. Therefore, the Government do not intend to publish the legal advice they have received on the decision to merge Nirex and the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority.

Pigs: EC Action

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with EU Ministers about the use of farrowing crates for nursing pigs; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: I have regular discussions with European Union (EU) ministers on a range of issues, including animal welfare. DEFRA would prefer to avoid the close confinement of all sows, but there are currently no free-farrowing systems suitable for widespread commercial adoption. Farrowing crates protect piglets from being crushed by the sowone of the largest causes of pig mortality. It is equally important to maintain the welfare of the piglet as that of the sow.
	There is a time limit on how long sows may be kept in farrowing crates: from seven days before the predicted day of farrowing until the piglets are weaned. After this period sows in the UK must be moved back to loose housing accommodation in which they are free to turn around easily.
	We have funded research to test and develop commercially viable farrowing systems that provide adequate protection to piglets but do not closely confine the sow. As yet, the risk of piglet mortality in alternative systems remains unacceptably high. Our research will contribute to the European Food Safety Authority's examination of a range of issues, including farrowing systems, leading up to the next review of the EU Directive on pig welfare.

Radioactive Wastes: Waste Management

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make it his policy to amend the Energy Act 2004 as it relates to the responsibilities of the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority in response to the Fourth Report of the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee: Radioactive Waste Management: an Update.

Ian Pearson: We are considering the report and will respond within the normal timetable.

Radioactive Wastes: Waste Management

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the Government will review the proposed relationship between the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and the successor body to the Committee of Radioactive Waste Management in response to the Fourth Report of the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee: Radioactive Waste Management: an Update, HL 109.

Ian Pearson: We are considering the report and will respond within the normal timetable.

Radioactive Wastes: Waste Management

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how members of  (a) the Criteria Proposals Group and  (b) the Criteria Review Panel responsible for deciding the scientific criteria for initial screening of areas unsuitable for a geological repository for long-lived radioactive waste were chosen; what criteria were used in selecting the membership; and what budget has been allocated to service each group and panel.

Ian Pearson: The Criteria Proposals Group (CPG) and Criteria Review Panel (CRP) were established on the basis of recommendations from the Royal Society, the Royal Academy of Engineering, the Geological Society, and the DEFRA Chief Scientific Advisor, Professor Sir Howard Dalton. Both were ad-hoc groups charged with developing criteria for inclusion in the forthcoming Managing Radioactive Waste Safely consultation document. CPG, led by Professor Peter Styles of Keele university, developed draft criteria. Its proposals were independently reviewed by CRP, led by Professor Howard Wheater of Imperial college, London. Selection of members of the groups was made on the basis of the need to involve high calibre expertise across the range of earth science and related disciplines. Members of the two groups were paid a daily rate for their work. The cost of the work is currently estimated to be of the order of 40,000.

Waste Management: Standards

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what savings have been achieved on each of the business resource efficiency and waste efficiency targets in 2006-07; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the cost per tonne was for reductions made by the business resource efficiency and waste programme in  (a) waste to landfill,  (b) hazardous waste and  (c) water; and how much carbon dioxide has been saved under the programme since its inception.

Ben Bradshaw: Delivery bodies conducting programmes under the wider business resource efficiency and waste programme (BREW) report on a number of environmental and business-based 'metrics' covering:
	 Environmental:
	i) reduction of greenhouse gas or equivalents
	ii) virgin raw materials saved
	iii) reduced hazardous waste arisings
	iv) decreased water usage
	v) waste diverted from landfill
	 Business:
	vi) cost savings
	vii) new business sales
	The metrics system was developed during the first year of the programme and is still being worked on to ensure a greater level of consistency in the methodologies used by different delivery bodies. As the methodology has not yet been perfected, the year one (2005-06) results are being viewed with caution and should only be used to give an indication of the savings being made. There are areas of the programme where the work cannot be measured against the metrics. For example, the Environment Agency work to reduce flytipping, if successful, could increase the amount of waste sent to landfill.
	The aggregated results for 2005-06, for the delivery bodies which reported in-year savings against some or all of the metrics, are shown in the following table. It is important to note that there will also be savings from these interventions in future years not counted here:
	
		
			  Metric  In-year result  Cost per unit reduction for these in-year results () 
			 Increased sales 14.6 million 1.27 
			 Cost savings to business 88 million 0.21 
			 Virgin raw material savings 682,000 tonnes 27.24 
			 Carbon savings 87,300 tonnes of carbon(1) 212.77 
			 Water savings 5,630,000 cubic metres 3.30 
			 Waste diverted from landfill 675,000 tonnes 27.52 
			 Hazardous waste savings 120,000 tonnes 154.79 
			 (1) For consistency, the delivery bodies that have reported in carbon dioxide have had their figures converted to carbon. Their carbon dioxide figures were multiplied by 12/44. 
		
	
	Work is currently underway to assess the impact of programme spending in 2006-07.

Waste Management: Standards

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Business Resource Efficiency and Waste Organisation's budget was for 2005-06; and what it is planned to be in 2006-07.

Ben Bradshaw: DEFRA's business resource efficiency and waste (BREW) programme is returning 284 million raised from the landfill tax escalator back to businesses between 2005 and 2008 to improve their resource efficiency and to minimise the levels of waste that are unnecessarily sent to landfill.
	Funds are awarded to a number of regional and national BREW delivery bodies. A total of 33 million was allocated in 2005-06 and 100.7 million was allocated in the 2006-07 financial year for spending on business resource efficiency activities in England.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Departments: Data Protection

Grant Shapps: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many times his Department has been found to have been in breach of the Data Protection Act 1998 since its establishment; and if he will make a statement.

John Prescott: My Department is not aware of having been found to be in breach of the Data Protection Act since its establishment.

Joint Ministerial Committee

Oliver Heald: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he last attended a meeting of the Joint Ministerial Committee.

John Prescott: The Joint Ministerial Committee (JMC) exists in both function and plenary formats. It has met in various functional formats to discuss specific policy areas such as Health, Poverty, the Knowledge Economy and Europe. Of these four subject areas, the JMC on Europe meets most regularly and is serviced by staff from the Cabinet Office. The UK Government have always been represented at JMC plenary and functional meetings.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Civil Servants: Foreign Workers

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many civil service posts in each department have been designated as reserved posts.

Patrick McFadden: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him on 28 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1621W.

Civil Servants: Foreign Workers

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many certificates under the Aliens Employment Act 1955 permitting employment of aliens in the civil service are in force; how many there were in 2006-07; and in which departments those holding such a certificate work.

Patrick McFadden: The total number of aliens' certificates in force during 2006-07 was 66.
	The Departments and agencies employing aliens and the numbers of aliens' certificates in force during 2006-07 were:
	
		
			   Number 
			 ACAS 1 
			 Central Office of Information 1 
			 Crown Prosecution Service 2 
			 Department for Culture, Media and Sport 1 
			 Ministry of Defence 37 
			 Department for Education and Skills 3 
			 Foreign and Commonwealth Office 6 
			 Government Actuary's Department 1 
			 Department of Health 1 
			 Home Office 1 
			 Meat Hygiene Service 4 
			 Meteorological Office 2 
			 Office for National Statistics 1 
			 Scottish Executive 1 
			 HM Treasury 2 
			 Department for Work and Pensions 1 
			 Welsh Assembly Government 1 
			 Total 66

Civil Servants: Foreign Workers

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether posts in HM Revenue and Customs concerned with the collection of taxes are considered to be in the public service and thus restricted posts to European Economic Area nationals; and if she will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: With very few exceptions, posts in HM Revenue and Customs concerned with the collection of taxes are not considered to be public service posts and are therefore open to applicants from the European Economic Area.

Civil Servants: Foreign Workers

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many civil service posts are reserved to UK nationals; how many she estimates it is operationally necessary so to reserve; and if she will make a statement.

Patrick McFadden: It is estimated that 27,000 civil service posts are currently reserved to UK nationals under the criteria specified on the face of the European Communities (Employment in the Civil Service) Order 2007. They are all operationally necessary as a post cannot be reserved if it does not fall within these criteria.

Civil Servants: Foreign Workers

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what percentage of civil service posts in the UK are  (a) available to Commonwealth, Irish and European Economic Area nationals and  (b) designated as public service posts entirely reserved for UK nationals.

Patrick McFadden: It is estimated that 95 per cent. of all civil service posts are available to Commonwealth, Irish and European Economic Area nationals following the European Communities (Employment in the Civil Service) Order 2007. The remainder, designated as public service posts, are reserved for UK nationals.

European Communities (Employment in the Civil Service) Order 2007

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 28 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1622W, on the European Communities (Employment in the Civil Service) Order 2007, whether the revisions to which she refers have been completed; and if she will place copies of the revisions in the Library.

Patrick McFadden: Work on the various documents is still in progress. Once finalised, they will be freely available on the Cabinet Office website.

Social Exclusion Unit: Pilot Schemes

Danny Alexander: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what pilot projects have been  (a) initiated and  (b) supported by the Social Exclusion Unit and the Social Exclusion Task Force; and which of those have since been implemented on a national basis.

Hilary Armstrong: 'Reaching Out', the Social Exclusion Action Plan, published last September announced three sets of pilots: 10 Family Nurse Partnership (FNP) are now up and running; 12 Adults Facing Chronic Exclusion (ACE) were launched on 18 June; and up to 6 Multi Systemic Therapy (MST) for which the invitation to tender is due to take place in July. Progress on the pilots will be closely evaluated to provide lessons for cross-Government programmes tackling social exclusion.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Coastal Areas: Hampshire

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the likely effects of climate change on coastal areas of Hampshire in  (a) 2020,  (b) 2050 and  (c) 2080; and if she will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	The Hampshire coast is covered by two Shoreline Management Plans. Once reviewed, these plans will provide a large-scale assessment of the risks associated with coastal processes taking account of climate change and other factors. They will also provide a policy framework to manage risks in a sustainable manner, looking ahead over the next 100 years and based on up to date guidance. The reviews will include full consultation with those likely to be affected.
	DEFRA published revised guidance for operating authorities on future rates of sea level rise in November 2006. This recommended the following allowances for the east and south east of England, including the effects of vertical land movement:
	4.0 mm rise per year from the baseline of nominal 1990 levels to 2025
	8.5 mm from 2025 to 2055
	12.0 mm from 2055 to 2085
	15.0 mm from 2085 to 2115.
	Estimates of future sea level rise vary. The aforementioned guidance has been published solely for the purpose of informing flood and coastal erosion risk management decisions and is kept under review. The assumptions and qualifications on which the recommendations are based are included in the guidance which is published on the DEFRA website.
	DEFRA policy has been guided by the Government's 2004 Foresight Report which presented possible future flood and coastal erosion risk scenarios. DEFRA, the UK Climate Impacts Programme and Met Office Hadley Centre will publish updated climate change scenarios for the UK in 2008 which should improve understanding of how climate change may affect sea level rise and storm surge over the next 100 years.

Conveyancing: Fees and Charges

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what figures her Department holds on the average cost charged by individual local authorities for property searches.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of Fair Trading 2005 report Property SearchesA market study showed the range of prices for LA searches from 55 to 269 with a median price of 119. We are currently looking at ways of updating these data. 50 local authorities have recently reduced the cost of their searches by an average of 20 per cent. in advance of the introduction of Home Information Packs.

Council Tax

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the estimated total revenue from parish precepts on council tax in England is for 2007-08.

Ruth Kelly: Levels of council tax set by local authorities in England in 2007-08 were set out in the Communities and Local Government Statistical Release published on 27 March 2007 on the Department's website. The release may by accessed at http://www.local.odpm.gov.uk/finance/ctax/ctax078.pdf and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Departments: Marketing

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much her Department has spent on  (a) advertising,  (b) publicity and  (c) marketing for (i) home information packs, (ii) licensing of houses in multiple occupation and (iii) the tenancy deposit scheme.

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1527W, for Home Information Packs. For the licensing of HMO's and the tenancy deposit scheme, please see the following table.
	
		
			million 
			 Tenancy deposit scheme 1.4 
			 Houses of multiple occupancy 1.4 
		
	
	All three campaigns have been carried out to inform the public of changes in law and to encourage them to find out more information about their duties and obligations under those laws.

East Midlands Regional Plan

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  which local authorities have made formal submissions to the consultation on the Draft East Midlands Regional Plan;
	(2)  how many official submissions were made in response to the public consultation on the Draft East Midlands Regional Plan.

Meg Munn: The formal consultation on the draft East Midlands Plan (Regional Spatial Strategy for the East Midlands) ended on 20 December 2006. During the consultation 1284 responses were submitted and a list of all the respondents and a summary of representations is posted on the East Midlands RSS website:
	http://www.planning-inspectorate.gov.uk/pins/rss/east_midlands/index.htm.
	Among the responses were 110 representations from Parish and Town Councils, 59 from local authorities (including all 46 local authorities in the East Midlands Region) and 23 from Government departments and other official agencies (including Regional Assemblies).
	The local authorities that submitted formal representations included:
	Amber Valley BC, Ashfield DC, Aylesbury Vale DC, Bassetlaw DC, Bedford BC, Bedfordshire CC, Blaby DC, Bolsover DC, Boston BC, Broxtowe BC, Cambridgeshire CC, Charnwood BC, Cherwell DC, Chesterfield BC, Corby BC, Daventry DC, Derby City, Derbyshire CC, Derbyshire Dales DC, East Lindsey DC, East Northamptonshire DC, East Staffordshire BC, Erewash BC, Gedling BC, Harborough DC, High Peak BC, Hinckley and Bosworth BC, Kettering BC, Leicester City, Leicestershire CC, Lincoln City, Lincolnshire CC, Mansfield DC, Melton BC, Newark and Sherwood DC, North East Derbyshire DC, North East Lincolnshire council, North Kesteven DC, North Lincolnshire council, North West Leicestershire DC, Northampton BC, Northamptonshire CC, Nottingham City, Nottinghamshire CC, Nuneaton and Bedworth BC, Oadby and Wigston BC, Peak District National Park Authority, Peterborough City, Rugby BC, Rushcliffe BC, Rutland CC, Sheffield City, South Derbyshire DC, South Holland DC, South Kesteven DC, South Northamptonshire DC, Staffordshire CC, Wellingborough BC and West Lindsey DC.

Fire Services: Urban Areas

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what factors are taken into account when considering the merging or amalgamation of fire stations in urban areas; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: Fire and rescue authorities (FRAs) are required by the Fire and Rescue Service National Framework to have in place and maintain an Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) which reflects local need and sets out plans to tackle effectively both existing and potential risks to communities. The IRMP enables the authority to tailor cover to fire and other incidents to local circumstances by evaluating where risk is greatest and allocating resources accordingly.

Home Information Packs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost to the public purse has been of  (a) stakeholder events and  (b) consultants on home information packs, broken down by main budget heading.

Ruth Kelly: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1527W.

Home Information Packs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what  (a) oral and  (b) written representations her Department has received from the right hon. Member for Greenwich and Woolwich on Home Information Packs.

Ruth Kelly: My right hon. Friend the Member for Greenwich and Woolwich has sent two letters on Home Information Packs. The first was written on behalf of a constituent and was dated 30 November 2005. The second was a request for a meeting to discuss the implementation of Home Information Packs with representatives of the Construction Industry Council and was dated 26 July 2006. The meeting was held on 30 November 2006 with the Minister for Housing and Planning. I have frequent meetings with my colleagues during which a variety of issues are discussed.

Home Information Packs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the cost of local authority searches will become liable for VAT if they are included in a home information pack.

Yvette Cooper: Charges for searches provided by local authorities for inclusion in home information packs are currently not subject to VAT, and therefore they will not become so when included in a home information pack.

Home Information Packs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what expenditure has been incurred on marketing, public relations and communications relating to home information packs.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 May 2007,  Official Report, column 1527W.

Housing: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the classification is of a greenhouse located with the curtilage of a domestic dwelling for the purposes of a Valuation Office Agency dwellinghouse or value significant coding.

Ruth Kelly: Greenhouses are not classified separately within the Valuation Office Agency's coding system.

Housing: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency's Dwellinghouse Code Validation Matrix as listed in CT IA 241005.

Ruth Kelly: A copy of this matrix has been placed in the Library of the House. This was an internal guide made available to VOA staff during the mass data capture exercise that took place in preparation for the (now postponed) council tax revaluation in England.

Housing: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on what date the Valuation Office Agency's Dwellinghouse Coding Guide was last updated on the agency's intranet.

Ruth Kelly: 27 January 2005.

Housing: Valuation

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the Valuation Office Agency's document Mass Data Capture of Dwellinghouse CodesFAQ.

Ruth Kelly: A copy of the document has been placed in the Library of the House and it can also be found on the Valuation Office website:
	www.voa.gov.uk.

Land: Databases

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what use the Automated Valuation Model of the Valuation Office Agency makes of the National Land and Property Gazetteer.

Angela Smith: The Valuation Office Agency's Automated Valuation Model makes use of grid co-ordinates supplied from the National Land and Property Gazetteer to identify the location of properties and their relative geographic position.

Local Government: Pay

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average increase in local government employee wages was in each year since 1996-97; and what the cost of the local government wage bill was in each year since 1996-97.

Ruth Kelly: Information on local government wages is not held centrally. However, the increase in the local government employee pay bill and the cost of the local government employee expenditure in each year is published in Local Government Financial Statistics or in National Statistics Releases as available from:
	http://www.locaLcommunities.gov.uk/finance/stats/index.htm
	All figures are for England only.

Parish Councils

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether district and unitary councils will have powers to direct parish councils to change their names under her proposals for reform of local government.

Ruth Kelly: Under the terms of the Local Government and Public Involvement in Health Bill there are no powers available to principle authorities to change the geographical name of a parish council. However, the principle authority is able to direct a parish council to change the way they refer to their area. The alternative terms of reference are community, neighbourhood or village.

Planning Gain Supplement

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she expects planning gain supplement to apply to new  (a) farm buildings,  (b) mobile phone masts and  (c) ATM cash machines, where such developments require planning permission.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government set out the proposed scope of the Planning-gain Supplement in paragraphs 3.121 and 3.122 of the 2006 pre-Budget report.

Planning: Teesside

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the suitability of Tees Valley being used as a pilot area for a Multi Area Agreement.

Phil Woolas: Multi-Area Agreements (MAAs) are being taken forward through the review of sub-national economic development and regeneration. As a result we are still refining our thinking about how MAAs will operate and have not made any formal assessment on which sub-regions would have MAAs.
	However, officials have been working closely with colleagues in Tees Valley who have established a very effective sub-regional partnership. Officials are continuing to work with the Tees Valley Partnership to further develop their city region business case as well as their thinking to develop a MAA. We are learning from their approach already and will continue our dialogue with them as we take this policy forward.

Public Sector Relocation Independent Review

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which Government agency or department now holds the documents produced by the Lyons Review of Local Government; and what plans the Government has to transfer this material to the National Archives.

Ruth Kelly: A copy of the Lyons Inquiry website has been captured to form part of the UK Government Web Archive at The National Archives. Other documents from the Inquiry are now held by the Department for Communities and Local Government. We will hold discussions with The National Archives about these documents in due course.

Second Homes: Taxation

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received on the proportion of receipts from local taxation on second homes that should be spent in the district in which the home is located.

Phil Woolas: The decision to change the council tax on second homes from between 50 per cent. to 90 per cent. lies with the local authority. The increased council tax receipts accrue to the local authority.
	Communities and Local Government does not therefore hold a record of representations received about the proportion of receipts from the local taxation of second homes that should be spent in the district in which the home is located.

Travelling People

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will give directions to those local authorities, whose plans will not deliver land allocations for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation within the target framework, to meet unmet need.

Meg Munn: The Secretary of State may direct a local authority to amend its local development scheme to allocate land for Gypsy and Traveller accommodation, where she considers it appropriate. Directions in this regard have been given to two local authorities.

Travelling People

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will require local planning authorities to report, upon receipt of pitch requirements from the relevant regional planning board on plans for delivery of those pitches, with a timetable.

Meg Munn: Local authorities must allocate sufficient sites in site allocation development plan documents to meet the pitch requirements allocated to them by Regional Assemblies in Regional Spatial Strategies. Section 35 of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act requires every local authority to make an annual report to the Secretary of State containing information on the implementation of the local development scheme, which includes development plan documents, and the extent to which policies set out in local development documents are being achieved.

Travelling People

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will instigate a review of caravan counts and the methods of ascertaining the size of the Gypsy and Traveller population for local authority biannual caravan counts.

Meg Munn: The caravan counts provide a snapshot of the number of caravans owned by Gypsies and Travellers situated in a local authority area on a single day. As such, it does not include Gypsies and Travellers living in bricks and mortar housing, and does not provide a record of the total Gypsy and Traveller population within a local authority area. There are no plans to review the caravan count at this time.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Departments: Manpower

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people granted  (a) temporary part-time,  (b) temporary full-time,  (c) permanent part-time and  (d) permanent full-time contracts of employment in her Department in each of the last three years were (i) male, (ii) female, (iii) registered disabled and (iv) aged 55 years or over.

David Lammy: The information relating to permanent part-time and full-time staff is contained in the following tables. We do not hold such information on temporary staff.
	
		
			   Full-time  Part-time  
			  1 April each year  Male  Female  Male  Female  Total 
			 2005 254 226 12 33 525 
			 2006 251 229 10 31 521 
			 2007 271 223 7 26 527 
		
	
	
		
			   Disabled( 1)  Aged over 55 
			  1 April each year  Male  Female  Male  Female 
			 2005 6 7 19 20 
			 2006 5 9 25 22 
			 2007 5 7 25 25 
			 (1) Note that Information on disabled staff relates to those staff who have self-declared a disability.

Departments: Manpower

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of staff in her Department are  (a) male,  (b) female,  (c) registered disabled and  (d) aged 55 or over.

David Lammy: In the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on 1 April 2007, 52.8 per cent. of the staff were male; 47.2 per cent. female; 2.3 per cent. recorded as being disabled and 9.5 per cent. aged 55 or over.

Departments: Remploy

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what  (a) services and  (b) products her Department has procured from Remploy in the last 12 months; and at what cost.

David Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has not procured any services or products in the last 12 months from Remploy.

Digital Broadcasting

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the spectrum required for high definition television; and what safeguards are in place to ensure there will be sufficient spectrum available for such broadcasting.

Shaun Woodward: None.
	HD can be provided on various platforms; it is essentially a matter for broadcasters and Ofcom. They are currently in discussion regarding the provision of HD on existing digital terrestrial television (DTT) capacity.

Nicholas Goodison

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether  (a) she and  (b) any Minister in her Department has met Sir Nicholas Goodison formally since the publication of his report to discuss his recommendations.

David Lammy: Sir Nicholas Goodison's report was published in January 2004. The then Culture Minister, Estelle Morris, met Sir Nicholas Goodison on 11 October 2004 and I met Sir Nicholas on 18 January 2007 to discuss his report.

Regional Development Agencies

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what the  (a) purpose,  (b) date and  (c) location was of each tourism event attended by Ministers in her Department in the last six months; who attended each event; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what the  (a) purpose and  (b) date was of each meeting of Ministers in her Department with representatives from the tourism industry in the last six months; who attended each meeting; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what the  (a) purpose,  (b) date and  (c) location was of each meeting of Ministers in her Department with representatives from (i) regional development agencies and (ii) VisitBritain in the last six months; who attended each meeting; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: The information requested is set out in the table. However, complete lists of organisations for events not organised by DCMS are not available.
	
		
			  Minister  Purpose  Date  Event Location  Attendees 
			 Tessa Jowell Introductory meeting with the Chair of Visit Britain 22 January 2007 DCMS VisitBritain 
			  
			 Tessa Jowell British Tourism Week launch and reception 12 March 2007 Tower of London Royal representative 
			 Minister for Creative Industries and Tourism 
			 VisitBritain 
			 UKinbound 
			  
			 Tessa Jowell British Travel Trade Fair 13 March 2007 National Exhibition Centre, Birmingham VisitBritain 
			 Number of MPs 
			 Wales Tourism Alliance 
			 Northern Ireland Tourist Board 
			 Tourism Ireland 
			 Over 370 exhibiting businesses and 2,400 buyers 
			  
			 Tessa Jowell Follow up meeting with the Chair of Visit Britain. 24 April 2007 DCMS VisitBritain 
			  
			 Richard Caborn Skills for Sport and Tourism Seminar 22 May 2007 House of Commons Peoplelst 
			 SkillsActive 
			 Members of the Associate Parliamentary Skills Group 
			 Members of the All Party Parliamentary Groups on Sport and Tourism 
			  
			 Richard Caborn VisitBritain strategy for attracting major sporting events to Britain 1 May 2007 DCMS VisitBritain 
			 Vero Communications 
			 UK Sport 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Discussion on tourist guiding provision 9 January 2007 DCMS Members of the Amicus Parliamentary Group 
			 Members of Amicus 
			 Association of Tourist Guiding 
			 Institute of Tourist Guiding 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Discussion on the Smoking Ban 11 January 2007 DCMS Association of Licensed Multiple Retailers 
			 Bob Cotton, Chief Executive, British Association Hospitality 
			 The Bingo Association 
			 British Holiday and Home Park Association 
			 British Beer and Pub Association 
			 Business in Sport and Leisure 
			 Bar Entertainment and Dance Association 
			 Confederation of Registered Clubs' Associations 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Tourism Society's Prospects Tourism Conference 11 January 2007 Sofitel St. James Hotel, London Association of British Travel Agents 
			 VisitBritain 
			 PKF Consultants 
			 TMI Hospitality Catering 
			 Melvin Consulting Ltd. 
			 Members of the Tourism Society 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Discuss use of the river Thames for tourism and commuter transport, particularly during the 2012 Games 15 January 2007 DCMS Thames Clippers 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Update on the National Skills Strategy 17 January 2007 DCMS People 1st 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward A meeting with representatives from the events industry 17 January 2007 DCMS Business Tourism Partnership 
			 Eventia 
			 British Association of Conference Destinations and Association of British Professional Conference Organisers 
			 Events Industry Alliance 
			 VisitBritain 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Meeting on Tourism 2012 Strategy 23 January 2007 DCMS VisitBritain 
			 London Organising Committee Of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) 
			 South West Regional Development Agency 
			 Local Government Association 
			 Chief Executive, People 1st 
			 British Holiday and Home Parks Association 
			 British Hospitality Association 
			 Business in Sport and Leisure 
			 Tourism Together 
			 Visit Wales 
			 Scottish Executive 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Regular update meeting with BHA 24 January 2007 DCMS British Hospitality Association 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Meeting with Tourism Together (the Local Authority Tourism umbrella body) 24 January 2007 DCMS British Hospitality Association 
			 One NorthEast 
			 Tourism Society 
			 DPUK 
			 Institute of Sport, parks and Leisure 
			 British Resorts and Destinations Association 
			 South West Regional Development Agency 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Accessible Tourism and the Issues Raised in the welcome Legacy Consultation 7 February 2007 DCMS Tourism for All 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Follow up to 15 January meeting about the river Thames 8 February 2007 DCMS Thames Clippers 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward UK Brand PerceptionsThe Anholt Index 19 February 2007 DCMS VisitBritain 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Tourism 2012 Strategy 19 February 2007 DCMS VisitBritain 
			 Visit London 
			 London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) 
			 South West Regional Development Agency 
			 Local Government Association 
			 People 1st 
			 British Holiday and Home Parks Association 
			 British Hospitality Association 
			 Tourism Together 
			 Visit Wales 
			 Scottish Executive 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Regular meeting with the Tourism Alliance 20 February 2007 Hilton Hotel, London Tourism Alliance 
			 English UK 
			 Association of Leading Visitor Attractions 
			 Tourism Southeast 
			 British Hospitality Association 
			 British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions 
			 VisitBritain 
			 British Beer and Pub Association 
			 Business Tourism Partnership 
			 British Holiday and Home Parks Association 
			 Visitor Attractions Forum 
			 CBI 
			 South East England Development Agency 
			 Historic Houses Association 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Discuss VisitBritain's operations in the key US market 26 February 2007 Los Angeles US VisitBritain personnel 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Discuss a range of tourism issues 28 February 2007 DCMS Visit London 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Launch of People 1st's National Skills Strategy for the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industries 7 March 2007 One Whitehall Place, London Peoplelst 
			 British Hospitality Association 
			 ,Merlin Entertainment Group 
			 VisitBritain 
			 Learning and Skills Council 
			 Leitch Review, HM Treasury 
			 Northwest Regional Development Agency 
			 South West Regional Development Agency 
			 A mixture of leading employers and trade associations-representative bodies from across the hospitality, leisure, travel and tourism industries and education and government, were also present 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward The SHINE Awards - For Women's Achievements in Travel, Tourism and Hospitality, 2007 9 March 2007 Italian Institute of Culture, London Shine people and Places 
			 Senior professionals from the travel, tourism and hospitality industry, supporting industries and event sponsors. 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Launch of British Tourism Week 12-18 March 12 March 2007 Tower of London Royal representative 
			 SoS, DCMS 
			 VisitBritain 
			 Ukinbound 
			 Representatives from tourism industry organisations and businesses 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward British Hospitality Association Council meeting 19 March 2007 Grosvenor House, London VisitBritain 
			 Marriott 
			 Compass 
			 Best Western 
			 De Vere Group 
			 Azcor Group 
			 Jarvis Hotels 
			 Sodaxo 
			 Aramark 
			 Whitbread 
			 Travelodge 
			 Choice Hotels 
			 IHG Group (Holiday Inn) 
			 Hilton 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward 2012 Tourism Strategy meeting 27 March 2007 DCMS VisitBritain 
			 British Holiday and Home Parks Association 
			 British Hospitality Association 
			 Business in Sport and Leisure 
			 British Resorts and Destinations Association 
			 People 1st 
			 London Organising Committee Of the Olympic Games 
			 (LOCOG) 
			 Local Government Association 
			 South West Regional Development Agency 
			 VisitLondon 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Meeting with the British Holiday and Home Parks Association 14 May 2007 Kelling Heath Holiday Park, Norfolk British Holiday and Home Parks Association 
			 Representatives from Kelling Heath 
			 VisitNorwich 
			 Norfolk Tourism Executive 
			 East of England Regional Development Agency 
			 East of England Tourism 
			 Norfolk Tourism 
			 VisitBritain 
			 Representatives from tourism industry businesses and local government. 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Regular meeting with the Tourism Alliance 18 April 2007 Marriott County, London Tourism Alliance Hall, 
			 English UK 
			 Association of Leading Visitor Attractions 
			 Tourism Southeast 
			 British Hospitality Association 
			 British Association of Leisure Parks, Piers and Attractions 
			 VisitBritain 
			 British Beer and Pub Association 
			 Business Tourism Partnership 
			 British Holiday and Home Parks Association 
			 Visitor Attractions Forum 
			 CBI 
			 South East England Development Agency 
			 Historic Houses Association 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Discussion on air transport issues 24 April 2007 Trafalgar Hotel, London Airways British 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Visit to Stanley House Hotel (to meet North West winners of the Enjoy England Awards for Excellence 2007) and Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery. 26 April 2007 Blackburn (Stanley House Hotel) (Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery): Lancashire and Blackpool Tourist Board 
			 Culture North West 
			 Lancashire Economic Partnership 
			 Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council 
			 National Football Museum 
			 Blackpool Council 
			 Ribble Valley Borough Council 
			 Representatives Number One Bed and Breakfast, Blackpool 
			 Representatives Stanley House Hotel 
			 Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council 
			 Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Meeting with North West Regional Development Agency 27 April 2007 NWRDA Offices, Renaissance House, Warrington North West Regional Development Agency 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Discuss tourism issues and 2012 opportunities 30 April 2007 DCMS Travelodge Reputation inc 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Discussion with industry on UK Skills Passports 8 May 2007 Mirrabell Restaurant, London Mitchells and Butler 
			 Travelodge Hotels 
			 McDonald's 
			 Gala Coral Group 
			 Public Sector Catering Council 
			 Starbucks 
			 Marston's 
			 Premier Travel Inn 
			 People 1st 
			 British Hospitality and Restaurant Association 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward 2012 Tourism Strategy meeting 9 May 2007 DCMS VisitBritain 
			 Business in Sport and Leisure) 
			 London Organising Committee Of the Olympic Games (LOCOG 
			 Local Government Association 
			 South West Regional Development Agency 
			 Scottish Executive 
			 People 1st 
			 British Holiday and Home Parks Association 
			 British Hospitality Association 
			 Tourism Together 
			 Visit Wales 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Meeting with representatives of the, Historic Houses Association 14 May 2007 Houghton Hall Norfolk Representatives of Houghton Hall Historic Houses Association 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Follow up meeting to meeting on 19 February 6 June 2007 DCMS VisitBritain 
			  
			 Shaun Woodward Regional visit to Liverpool  Liverpool Arena and Convention Centre and St George's Hall, Liverpool Liverpool Culture Company 
			 The Mersey Partnership 
			 North West Development Agency 
			 Northwest Tourism Forum 
			 Representatives of the Arena and Convention Centre Liverpool 
			 Liverpool City Council 
			 Liverpool Attractions Group 
			 Liverpool Restaurant Group 
			 Liverpool Tourism Business Network

World Heritage Sites

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will take steps  (a) to develop comprehensive visual studies and  (b) to designate buffer zones in order to protect areas that hold World Heritage Site status from possible adverse impacts caused by the development of tall buildings.

David Lammy: In March 2007 the Government published 'Heritage Protection for the 21st Century', which sets out proposals to strengthen and clarify protection for world heritage sites. These measures include a commitment to produce a planning circular which will clarify policy on world heritage sites including the use of buffer zones. This will be published for consultation later this year.
	It is for each world heritage site steering group, in consultation with the relevant local authorities, to decide how best to protect the setting and outstanding universal value of the site in question. In some cases, a comprehensive visual study may be appropriate as a tool for achieving this. In some cases, also, buffer zones are one of the approaches which can be used for protecting the setting but they may not be appropriate for all world heritage sites.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Adoption

John Hemming: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the target is for each local authority classified by relevant Government office for numbers of adoptions from care in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) 2007-08.

Parmjit Dhanda: No adoption targets have been set by central Government for individual local authorities, though some authorities have chosen to develop adoption targets as part of the local area agreement/local public service agreement process.
	I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Department for Communities and Local Government on 13 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1073W.
	Local public service agreements are based entirely around reward targets. They have now been largely merged into local area agreements, which contain non-reward and reward targets, and typically run for three years. No local authority has a reward target specifically on adoptions which is dependent on performance in either 2006-07 or 2007-08. There is no detailed central record of non-reward targets in local area agreements, although the agreements themselves are available on the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) website.

Apprenticeships

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 26 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1272W, on apprentices, how many pupils in  (a) apprenticeships and  (b) advanced apprenticeships achieved separate technical certificates in each year since 1997.

Phil Hope: holding answer 16 April 2007
	 Data on Apprenticeships and Advanced Apprenticeships are collected on the Learning and Skills Council's (LSC) Individualised Learner Record (ILR). As reported in the answer of 26 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1272W, this can record all of the individual learning aims that an Apprentice is undertaking as part of the framework, including those identified as separate technical certificates. However, although in principle it is possible to identify those learners who have achieved both the full framework and a technical certificate, the required information is not contained on the framework record which is used to calculate success rates. The analysis would require the creation of a new methodology for bringing the information on technical certificates forward from the raw data to the framework record. The undertaking of this work would require a significant resource in terms of analyst time and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Additionally it is not possible to identify those learners who have already obtained the technical certificate through prior learning.

Children in Care

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many children were taken into care in each local authority in each of the last 10 years;
	(2)  when he will reply to question number 133507, on children in care, tabled by the hon. Member for North West Cambridgeshire on 18 April 2007.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Looked after children taken into care during the years ending 31 March 1997 to 2006( 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7) , England 
			  Number 
			   1997( 2)  1998( 3)  1999( 3)  2000( 3)  2001 ( 3)  2002( 3)  2003( 3)  2004( 2)  2005( 2)  2006( 2) 
			  England 6,100 7,100 7,200 7,700 7,000 7,400 8,100 7,500 7,700 7,600 
			
			  North East 320 390 370 450 350 460 450 450 440 470 
			 Darlington 10 35 20 15 30 25 35 20 20 20 
			 Durham 35 40 80 75 35 60 100 100 80 65 
			 Gateshead 30 45 45 40 30 25 55 25 25 55 
			 Hartlepool 15 15 35 35 30 15 15 25 20 15 
			 Middlesbrough 15 15 10 25 20 30 20 40 35 30 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 25 20 25 45 45 55 35 55 40 45 
			 North Tyneside 25 25 15 35 30 20 15 20 15 35 
			 Northumberland 25 50 20 20 20 60 60 45 55 45 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 15 25 10 15 20 45 30 10 25 35 
			 South Tyneside 30 40 30 20 30 35 40 40 35 45 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 20 30 30 40 15 30 20 45 25 35 
			 Sunderland 70 50 55 75 50 65 35 35 60 40 
			
			  North West 1,000 1,130 1,170 1,310 1,070 1,260 1,200 1,260 1,330 1,260 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 25 60 30 15 45 50 35 50 50 55 
			 Blackpool 25 25 35 40 30 30 20 25 35 35 
			 Bolton 35 50 35 40 20 60 30 55 70 45 
			 Bury 15 15 30 30 30 45 25 45 45 30 
			 Cheshire 35 50 65 55 60 25 55 35 45 55 
			 Cumbria 45 60 85 90 60 135 105 65 50 60 
			 Halton 10 10 15 40 20 25 10 15 15 15 
			 Knowsley 20 10 20 35 25 15 20 35 45 20 
			 Lancashire 175 185 130 150 105 145 200 160 210 205 
			 Liverpool 90 60 120 135 115 75 55 80 40 50 
			 Manchester 200 245 200 180 175 200 185 170 195 205 
			 Oldham 25 35 30 50 45 40 40 45 55 55 
			 Rochdale 20 30 45 60 15 30 35 60 40 30 
			 Salford 75 60 50 100 70 55 65 70 75 70 
			 Sefton 25 35 40 35 30 20 70 35 45 75 
			 St. Helens 20 25 10 30 30 45 10 30 40 60 
			 Stockport 35 25 80 55 65 55 45 60 55 40 
			 Tameside 20 20 20 20 20 8 30 50 55 60 25 
			 Trafford 20 40 15 25 45 40 25 20 25 15 
			 Warrington 15 15  25  20 15 25 15 5 
			 Wigan 45 40 60 40 20 35 30 70 50 50 
			 Wirral 15 35 45 65 55 100 65 55 65 65 
			
			  Yorkshire and the Humber 850 920 950 1,060 920 940 990 840 920 760 
			 Barnsley 25 70 40 45 65 35 40 45 40 35 
			 Bradford 80 70 120 110 130 115 110 115 120 90 
			 Calderdale 30 20 20 35 20 35 30 30 35 20 
			 Doncaster 65 60 50 110 45 80 50 70 85 80 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 45 40 25 40 25 35 35 10 50 30 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 95 145 90 55 45 70 95 40 45 60 
			 Kirklees 45 40 45 85 50 50 50 60 55 55 
			 Leeds 190 210 180 205 180 180 220 205 200 130 
			 North East Lincolnshire 40 25 50 45 30 40 20 25 25 10 
			 North Lincolnshire 15 15 45 10  20 35 25 20 25 
			 North Yorkshire 45 35 50 45 55 35 60 35 55 45 
			 Rotherham 40 40 30 55 70 35 55 45 65 40 
			 Sheffield 65 60 100 130 125 125 110 55 60 70 
			 Wakefield 60 85 75 35 30 65 70 55 35 50 
			 York 20  25 40 30 20 15 25 20 20 
			
			  East Midlands 460 590 640 610 610 550 550 490 470 450 
			 Derby 60 50 45 45 50 20 40 30 30 35 
			 Derbyshire 30 80 110 115 80 100 80 70 75 50 
			 Leicester 45 70 50 80 105 70 70 80 70 65 
			 Leicestershire 25 20 45 50 35 65 60 40 35 40 
			 Lincolnshire 105 120 165 65 105 85 75 75 70 60 
			 Northamptonshire 65 60 70 100 60 105 85 105 95 115 
			 Nottingham 55 110 90 85 60 65 65 55 40 20 
			 Nottinghamshire 70 85 70 55 105 40 70 30 50 60 
			 Rutland 0 0 0  5 0 0
			
			  West Midlands 660 930 940 810 820 920 1,060 800 890 910 
			 Birmingham 185 420 360 260 225 265 280 190 250 255 
			 Coventry 50 40 50 75 55 55 55 60 70 65 
			 Dudley 55 55 55 65 55 70 75 45 75 55 
			 Herefordshire 15 25 35 30 20 15 20 30 15 10 
			 Sandwell 60 40 65 50 60 70 85 80 55 80 
			 Shropshire 5 5 10 10 15 40 25 15 35 15 
			 Solihull 15 10 30 20 30 30 20 25 30 25 
			 Staffordshire 60 65 60 80 70 65 105 80 85 125 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 30 65 55 45 40 55 85 60 65 50 
			 Telford and Wrekin 5 10 10  35 10 20 15 5 20 
			 Walsall 25 50 50 50 45 75 110 55 55 70 
			 Warwickshire 20 30 15 15 20 70 35 40 35 35 
			 Wolverhampton 50 50 50 25 65 35 50 65 45 45 
			 Worcestershire 80 55 100 90 90 65 90 45 65 50 
			
			  East of England 640 620 580 710 630 690 680 680 690 650 
			 Bedfordshire 15 30 30 45 50 70 45 50 25 15 
			 Cambridgeshire 55 50 45 40 30 35 30 50 55 50 
			 Essex 165 135 120 220 105 115 155 160 200 170 
			 Hertfordshire 115 135 105 120 110 100 105 135 80 110 
			 Luton 40 5 30 20 55 55 90 50 40 25 
			 Norfolk 55 65 60 75 135 160 110 100 135 105 
			 Peterborough 40 60 25 95 20 30 20 25 40 40 
			 Southend-on-Sea 50 25 50 20 30 35 20 20 40 30 
			 Suffolk 65 90 85 50 85 75 95 60 55 100 
			 Thurrock 30 10 20 20 10 15 15 30 15 15 
			
			  London 960 1,070 1,170 1,220 1,200 1,310 1,740 1,540 1,550 1,570 
			  Inner London 440 530 570 600 590 660 920 860 790 810 
			 Camden 30 30 45 40 60 85 95 85 60 75 
			 City of London 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  
			 Hackney 30 40 60 50 45 20 45 70 65 45 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 15 30 25 40 40 50 70 40 35 45 
			 Haringey 15 15 45 40 75 75 120 100 70 90 
			 Islington 35 40 40 50 25 50 45 55 45 60 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 15 20 35 35 30 35 30 45 30 30 
			 Lambeth 50 45 50 50 50 50 45 65 80 65 
			 Lewisham 35 40 40 65 40 40 65 85 80 65 
			 Newham 45 50 75 75 65 75 140 85 60 100 
			 Southwark 45 75 45 25 50 70 60 75 90 85 
			 Tower Hamlets 70 65 30 45 30 45 40 60 85 75 
			 Wandsworth 35 40 35 40 50 30 70 60 50 35 
			 Westminster 25 45 50 40 30 35 95 40 40 45 
			
			  Outer London 520 550 600 610 610 650 820 680 770 760 
			 Barking and Dagenham 20 10 35 30 15 45 80 55 60 40 
			 Barnet 25 20 25 30 65 45 80 65 60 55 
			 Bexley 30 20 35 25 15 40 15 10 25 25 
			 Brent 85 40 80 30 60 40 50 65 55 70 
			 Bromley 15 35 35 20 40 30 50 55 35 20 
			 Croydon 50 65 40 70 20 25 45 30 50 40 
			 Ealing 55 60 65 65 55 45 70 55 75 70 
			 Enfield 30 5 25 15 25 45 75 40 60 45 
			 Greenwich 35 60 75 70 70 95 75 65 70 85 
			 Harrow 5 25 30 40 35 10 20 20 30 15 
			 Havering 5  15 20 20 5 20 20 20 35 
			 Hillingdon 20 30 5 45 20 15 20 30 40 55 
			 Hounslow 35 35 20 40 70 45 55 60 50 85 
			 Kingston upon Thames  20  10  10 5 10 15 10 
			 Merton 20 25 20 15 25 40 35 15 30 15 
			 Redbridge 45 45 20 25 10 35 30 15 15 20 
			 Richmond upon Thames 10 25 25 15 5 5 15 10 15 10 
			 Button 20  10 25 10 15 10 10 35 15 
			 Waltham Forest 10 20 35 30 50 50 70 40 30 50 
			
			  South East 820 950 900 1,000 950 780 990 880 910 900 
			 Bracknell Forest   25 5   5 5 10 5 
			 Brighton and Hove 40 70 65 30 35 55 105 60 60 85 
			 Buckinghamshire 20 15 45 30 45 40 40 50 20 20 
			 East Sussex 45 45 75 80 80 80 80 65 80 70 
			 Hampshire 70 150 150 140 125 90 115 95 130 105 
			 Isle of Wight 30 10  60 20 20 10 15  15 
			 Kent 125 210 165 195 205 170 170 165 210 160 
			 Medway Towns 55 60 50 45 35 15 55 60 30 40 
			 Milton Keynes 35 65 35 30 15 25 55 30 45 35 
			 Oxfordshire 100 40 60 60 75 35 65 50 65 85 
			 Portsmouth 40 45 20 15 55 25 30 35 35 30 
			 Reading 15  5 15 5 25 25 25 15 30 
			 Slough 10 5  20 10 10 15  15 20 
			 Southampton 50 65 60 85 85 40 45 30 25 20 
			 Surrey 75 60 60 75 60 55 70 130 90 75 
			 West Berkshire 20  20 5 5  15 10 10  
			 West Sussex 75 85 50 90 85 80 85 55 60 85 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead  5 10 10 0 0 5 10   
			 Wokingham 5 10   5 10 
			
			  South West 450 500 550 530 480 510 520 600 540 630 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 10 10 20 10 15 15 10 10 5 30 
			 Bournemouth 25 55 35 30 45 30 40 20 15 20 
			 Bristol, City of 55 60 85 40 35 30 65 85 105 90 
			 Cornwall 65 75 60 75 60 50 70 100 60 95 
			 Devon 65 45 100 100 80 65 65 80 80 55 
			 Dorset 25 15 20 20 25 10 10 10 20 20 
			 Gloucestershire 45 35 35 55 55 70 35 45 30 55 
			 Isles of Scilly 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 North Somerset 30 20 15 25 25  5 35 10 25 
			 Plymouth 30 40 45 45 30 40 55 40 45 30 
			 Poole 10 30 15 15 10 25 20 10  10 
			 Somerset 35 30 35 25 50 65 60 55 55 85 
			 South Gloucestershire 15 25 10 20 15 25 30 30 10 20 
			 Swindon 10 10 15  5 10 5 20 25 35 
			 Torbay 15 25 25 30 20 25 30 25 25 25 
			 Wiltshire 15 35 35 30 15 40 15 35 45 40 
			 (1) Figures exclude children looked after under an agreed series of short term placements. (2) Figures are taken from the SSDA903 return which in 1996-97, 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 covered all looked after children. (3) Figures are taken from the SSDA903 one-third sample survey. (4) Only the first occasion on which a child was taken into care in the year has been counted. (5) Children taken into care are children who started to be looked after under the following legal statuses: interim or full care orders, and police protection or emergency protection or child assessment orders. They exclude children freed for adoption or for whom a placement order was granted, they exclude children under voluntary accommodation and they also exclude children under youth justice legal statuses. (6) Historical figures may differ from older publications. This is mainly due to the implementation of amendments sent by some local authorities after the publication date of previous materials. (7) To maintain the confidentiality of each individual child, data at national level are rounded to the nearest 100 if they exceed 1,000 or to the nearest 10 otherwise. At local authority level, data are rounded to the nearest five and at region level, to the nearest 10. Where the number was five or less (other than 0) this has been suppressed and replaced with ''.

Children in Care: Death

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will put in place arrangements for collecting centrally details of all fatalities of young people in  (a) foster and  (b) residential care that take place in England.

Beverley Hughes: Both fostering service providers and the providers of children's homes are already required to notify the Secretary of State of particular events, including the death of a looked after child in their care.
	However, in order to monitor and investigate child deaths more effectively, the Government are putting in place new child death review processes which will be the responsibility of Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs). Reviewing deaths will become mandatory in April 2008 though LSCBs have been able to do this since 2006. These arrangements include children in foster care and residential care.
	There are two elements to the child death review process: firstly, a rapid response by a group of professionals who are responsible for inquiring into and evaluating each unexpected death of a child; secondly, the review of deaths of all children in the local authority area through Child Death Overview Panels (CDOPs). CDOPs will identify any trends or patterns in these deaths. This information will be used by LSCBs to prevent or avoid such deaths in the future. It will inform local strategic planning for children's services and policy at a local and national level. Detailed guidance on how these procedures work is set out in 'Working Together to Safeguard Children' (2006).

Children in Care: Standards

David Kidney: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the LILAC (Leading improvements for looked-after children) scheme for involving care-experienced young people in the inspections of local authority's care services.

Parmjit Dhanda: I understand that an evaluation report of the LILAC scheme by A National Voice will be published shortly. We are fully committed to the policy of ensuring that young people in care are actively involved in the care planning process. The recent Green Paper, 'Care Matters: transforming the lives of children and young people in care', contains a range of proposals that aim to give young people a voice and more control over their lives while in care.

Council for Disabled Children

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he expects the Council for Disabled Children to publish its good practice guidance on transition; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: We intend that the Transition Support Programme will be piloted from 2008-09. Work is in progress on developing the pilots and more details will be available later this year. No decision has yet been taken on what parts of the country the pilots will take place.
	The Council for Disabled Children has produced draft guidance on transition which will be published by the Department later this summer.

Children: Work Permits

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what plans he has to publicise the requirements for work permits for child employment;
	(2)  how many children who require work permits his Department estimates are in employment;
	(3)  whether the Head of Children's Services in a local authority is formally accountable for the implementation of child employment policy in that authority; and if he will bring forward proposals to require a named member to also have special responsibility.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer s  15 June 2007
	In 2005, the Government published Statutory guidance on the roles and responsibilities of the Director of Children's Services and Lead Member for Children's Services. This guidance is clear that local authorities' functions relating to child employment under section 559 of the Education Act 1996 and sections 18(2) and 37 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 fall within the Director of Children's Services areas of responsibility by virtue of section 18(2)(a) of the Children Act 2004. Directors of Children's Services are accountable to the elected members of their authorities for all aspects of their work.
	Local authorities are responsible for granting child employment permits and for the enforcement of child employment legislation, including explaining and publicising its requirements. Information is not collected centrally about the numbers of children who require employment permits. The Government plan to help local authorities, employers, young people and other stakeholders to understand and operate the system by producing clear guidance.

Classroom Assistants: Visually Impaired

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure that there is a sufficient number of qualified teaching assistants able to help those children with a visual impairment.

Parmjit Dhanda: Decisions on the number and deployment of teaching assistants are matters for local determination by individual schools and their local authorities.
	All schools receive a School Development Grant which they are able to use to support improvements in any aspect of teaching and learning. This can be used to support staff training, including sending teaching assistants on specialised training courses. Local authorities may retain a proportion of this grant, in certain circumstances, to provide specific training and development in relation to special educational needs (SEN) and disabilities.
	Support staff, including teaching assistants, play an important role in schools, often working closely with pupils with SEN and disabilities. In recognition of this, the Training and Development Agency for Schools, which now has responsibility for support staff training and development, has developed national occupational standards for teachers/classroom assistants to cover roles that support teaching and learning in schools. The revised standards have been strengthened to reflect the role of teaching assistants working with pupils with additional needs, including those with sensory impairment. Induction training material on SEN for teaching assistants working in both primary and secondary schools is also available, as is introductory training for other support staff, which contains a discrete module covering SEN and disabilities.
	The standards for higher level teaching assistants (HLTAs), for which the TDA is also responsible, require HLTAs to know how to support learners in accessing the curriculum, in accordance with the SEN Code of Practice and disability legislation.

Departments: Delivery Unit

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills in which  (a) policy areas and  (b) projects his Department is (i) receiving support or advice from the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit and (ii) has received such support or advice over the last 12 months.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Prime Minister's Delivery Unit (PMDU) works with my Department in the following policy areas: primary and secondary school standards; attendance and behaviour; targeted youth support; attainment at 19; those not in education, training or employment (NEETs); academies; trust schools; and extended schools. With regard to projects my Department has received support from the PMDU on over the last 12 months, I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 4 June 2007,  Official Report, column 116W. The PMDU is currently working with the Department on the impact of School Improvement Partners on raising standards.

Departments: Energy

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what strategy he has put in place for  (a) the use of renewable energy and  (b) meeting energy targets in his Department's buildings; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: DFES has recently introduced a Sustainable Operations Management System (SOMS), to help it meet the framework for Sustainable Development in Government's (SDiG) renewable energy and energy reduction targets on its office estate.
	As part of DFES strategy within the SOMS and supporting action plans, DFES will conduct a feasibility study into on-site low and zero carbon heat and power generation systems. This will include a cost benefit analysis for sourcing more energy from renewables.
	As part of DFES strategy within the SOMS and supporting action plans, DFES will set annual targets to meet SDiG energy efficiency targets, developing and communicating energy protocols incorporating short and long term energy management improvement actions (including Carbon Trust identified actions) and energy monitoring programmes to report on energy usage and trends.

Departments: Food

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department has taken in response to the National Audit Office Report Smarter Food Procurement by the Public Sector.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 14 June 2007
	The Department worked closely with the National Audit Office (NAO) in establishing the facts published in its report 'Smarter Food Procurement in the Public Sector' and has consulted the NAO in taking forward action on the report's recommendations. It is also working closely with the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs, the School Food Trust and the North East Centre of Excellence in taking forward the report's recommendations. The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) held a hearing on the NAO report on 11 October 2006 and published their report on 30 March 2007 (the 13th Report of the Public Accounts Committee). Details of the work being taken by this Department and other Government Departments in response to the PAC report is set out in the Treasury Minute published on 23 May 2007 (Cm 7077).

Departments: Legal Costs

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was spent by his Department on legal fees in each of the last five years.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department for Education and Skills spent 172,043 in 2002-03, 275,523 in 2003-04, 243,286 in 2004-05, 250,815 in 2005-06 and 192,594 in 2006-07 on external legal services (i.e. advice and some litigation services). The figures have been rounded to the nearest pound.

Departments: Manpower

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many staff funded by the public purse in his Department are classified as people without posts.

Parmjit Dhanda: There are currently 61 members of staff who are without a permanent post in my Department. This number is broken down by site and grade as follows:
	
		
			   Darlington  London  Runcorn  Sheffield  G/O  Total 
			 EA 0 12 1 8 0 21 
			 EO 0 10 4 3 0 17 
			 HEO 0 1 0 2 1 4 
			 SEO 0 3 0 2 0 5 
			 G7 0 5 1 3 0 9 
			 G6 0 2 0 3 0 5 
			 Total 0 33 6 21 1 61 
		
	
	When staff find themselves without a permanent post, they are supported by their line manager and HR, and are deployed on projects or other meaningful work until they secure a permanent post. Our expectation is that all displaced staff will find a new post within a three month period.

Departments: Official Cars

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what visits he has made involving a mix of political and official engagements where Government Car Service vehicles were used in 2007; and whether the Government was reimbursed a proportion of the cost in each case.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer 14 June 2007
	All travel is undertaken in accordance with Travel by Ministers and the Ministerial Code, copies of which are available in the House Library.

Departments: Pay

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many staff in his Department received bonus payments in 2006-07; what proportion of the total workforce they represented; what the total amount of bonuses paid was; what the largest single payment was; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: Information for Executive Assistant to Grade 6 bonus payments received in 2006-07 is not yet available. Members of the Senior Civil Service will not receive their bonus payments until November 2007.
	For my Department's most up to date information, I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 8 November 2006,  Official Report, column 1706W.

Departments: Postal Services

Christopher Fraser: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which postal companies handle mail dispatched by his Department and its agencies.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department for Education and Skills use the following postal companies to handle mail dispatched from its head office buildings.
	Royal Mail;
	Parcel Force;
	Copley Couriers;
	Central Dispatch Couriers.
	The Department could provide information in respect of its agencies only at a disproportionate cost.

Departments: Publicity

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which  (a) advertising agencies and  (b) other organisations supplied consultancy services for advertising campaigns for (i) his Department and (ii) its agencies in each of the last five years; and what the cost of these services was.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department for Education and Skills uses the Central Office of Information (COI) for above the line advertising campaigns; it does not keep separate information centrally on any subcontracted consultancy services that COI may employ relating to any advertising campaigns. The Department contracts with agencies for below the line publicity, including design agencies and PR agenciesbut these are for services such as design and PR services, not consultancy.
	The Department for Education and Skills does not have any agencies.

Departments: Sexual Harassment

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many complaints of sexual harassment have been investigated in his Department in the last 12 months; and how many complaints have been upheld.

Parmjit Dhanda: No complaints of sexual harassment were investigated in my Department in the last 12 months.
	The Department believes that each and every individual has the right to be treated fairly, with dignity and respect. As such, we do not tolerate unacceptable behaviour towards others. Formal complaints of sexual harassment would be investigated quickly and thoroughly and, where complaints were upheld, appropriate disciplinary action would be taken. All cases are treated seriously.
	The overall aim of our harassment and bullying policy is to prevent such unacceptable behaviour occurring but, where it does occur, to ensure that appropriate and effective action is taken to deal with it and prevent it happening again. This applies to everyone in the Department. Every individual is personally responsible for their own behaviour, and every manager is responsible for enforcing the policy in accordance with the guidance and procedures set out in our Staff Handbook.

Departments: Sick Leave

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what average number of days per year was taken by staff in his Department as sick leave in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Calendar year  Average number days lost through sick leave per staff year 
			 2005 8.9 
			 2004 9.0 
			 2003 10.3 
			 2002 9.8 
			 2001 8.4 
		
	
	The data are taken from the report 'Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service', which Cabinet Office publishes annually.

Departments: Working Hours

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many staff at each grade in his Department have opted out of the Working Time Regulations.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department is committed to reducing the number of employees who work in excess of the Working Time Directive maximum to an absolute minimum.
	The current number and grade of employees who have signed a formal opt out from the Working Time Directive is set out in the table as follows:
	
		
			  Grade  Number 
			 AO 6 
			 EO 12 
			 HEO 12 
			 SEO 6 
			 Grade 7 7 
			 Grade 6 2 
			 SCSB1 2 
		
	
	The number of hours that each employee works per week is not kept centrally, therefore the number of hours in excess of the maximum allowed under the Working Time Directive could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Executive Agencies

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which executive agencies are the responsibility of his Department; what the function is of each agency; and what the budget was of each agency in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) is not responsible for any executive agencies.

Foster Care: North East Region

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in the North East are  (a) in recognised foster care and  (b) subject to special guardianship or residence orders with friends or family other than their parents.

Parmjit Dhanda: Information on the numbers of children that are  (a) in recognised foster care and  (b) subject to special guardianship or residence orders with friends or family other than their parents is not collected centrally by the Department for Education and Skills (DfES).
	Information on looked after children who were taken into care is collected in the annual SSDA903 return which is completed by local authority social services departments in England. The SSDA903 return does not distinguish whether a foster care is recognised or not. The closest data available are the number of children in the North East of England that are in foster care at 31 March 2006. The information is available in table 4 at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000721/TablesfinalRENAMED.xls.
	The data do not distinguish whether looked after children subject to special guardianship or residence orders are with friends or family other than their parents. The closest data available are the number of children who ceased to be looked after during the year ending 31 March 2006 in England by reason episode ceased and age on ceasing. Please note that the information only shows the number of children who ceased to be looked after because of the granting of a special guardianship or residence order who are living in all types of placement, and not just for those who are placed with friends or family other than their parents. The information is available in table AH at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/VOL/v000721/All_National_Tables.xls

Pupils: Dyslexia

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school age in each local authority area were diagnosed with dyslexia in each of the last 10 years.

Parmjit Dhanda: The available information has been placed in the House Library.
	Information was collected from schools on pupils who are supported at School Action Plus and those pupils with statements of special educational needs (SEN) about their main or primary need and, if appropriate, their secondary need for the first time in 2004.
	Information on the number of pupils with dyslexia alone is not collected centrally. Figures relating to pupils with Specific Learning Difficulties have been provided. Pupils with Specific Learning Difficulties have a particular difficulty in learning to read, write, spell or manipulate numbers and this includes pupils with dyslexia, dyscalculia and dyspraxia.
	There are a number of sensitivities about categorising pupils by their type of SEN. It is important that anyone using the data should be aware of the concerns and also understand the limitations of the data's reliability and validity. There are a range of factors which may affect the data recorded, including:
	Local interpretation of definitions
	Classification of children with multiple needs
	Statistics are based on school and local authority identification of need rather than a diagnosis by medical of psychological staff
	Availability of special school provisions in Authorities

Respite Care

Gary Streeter: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what progress has been made on the issuing of best practice guidelines to local authorities on the provision of respite care to families with disabled children pursuant to the Government's commitment given on 23 February 2007;
	(2)  how the recently announced additional 280 million funding to increase respite care for families with disabled children will be spent; and if he will make a statement.

Parmjit Dhanda: holding answer s 11 June 2007
	The Council for Disabled Children has started to develop good practice guidance to help local authorities commission quality short breaks services for disabled children and their families. A first draft of the guidance will be submitted to the Department in the autumn and this will be trialled with a small number of authorities. The trial findings will be used to inform the final draft of the guidance for publication in spring 2008.
	Implementation plans are being developed to deliver the step change in the provision of short breaks announced in the DfES/HMT report 'Aiming high for disabled children: better support for families' (May 2007). There is an expectation the 280 million made available for this purpose will be phasedwith pathfinders in 2008-09 and 2009-10 and national roll-out in 2010-11. The priority is to support the development of sustainable short breaks services locally.
	Our plans will need to take account of the NHS comprehensive spending review settlement later this year which will provide additional funding to provide short breaks for disabled children with complex health needs.

Special Educational Needs: Pupil Exclusions

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of current pupils with  (a) statemented special educational needs (SEN) and  (b) non-statemented SEN have received a fixed period exclusion from (i) maintained mainstream and (ii) other schools (A) once, (B) twice, (C) more than twice and (D) more than five times.

Parmjit Dhanda: The available information is given in the tables.
	
		
			  Maintained primary, secondary and all special schools( 1) : Number of pupils excluded for a fixed period from school by special educational needs (SEN) ,  2004/05 ,  England 
			   Maintained primary and secondary schools 
			   Pupils with statements of SEN  Pupils with SEN without statements  Pupils with no identified SEN  Total( 2) 
			  Number of fixed period exclusions per pupil:  Number  Percentage( 3)  Number  Percentage( 3)  Number  Percentage( 3)  Number  Percentage( 3) 
			 1 6,820 3.2 42,130 19.6 86,880 40.5 135,830 63.3 
			 2 2,770 1.3 16,170 7.5 22,260 10.4 41,190 19.2 
			 3 to 5 2,700 1.3 13,930 6.5 14,970 7.0 31,600 14.7 
			 More than 5 630 0.3 2,930 1.4 2,260 1.1 5,810 2.7 
			 Total number of pupils 12,910 6.0 75,150 35.0 126,370 58.9 214,440 100.0 
		
	
	
		
			   Maintained special schools 
			   Pupils with statements of SEN  Pupils with SEN without statements  Pupils with no identified SEN  Total 
			  Number of fixed period exclusions per pupil:  Number  Percentage( 3)  Number  Percentage( 3)  Number  Percentage( 3)  Number  Percentage( 3) 
			 1 2,590 40.5 90 1.5 280 4.3 2,960 46.3 
			 2 1,160 18.2 40 0.6 120 1.9 1,320 20.7 
			 3 to 5 1,360 21.2 60 1.0 100 1.5 1,520 23.7 
			 More than 5 520 8.2 20 0.2 60 0.9 600 9.3 
			 Total number of pupils 5,640 88.0 210 3.3 550 8.7 6,400 100.0 
			 (1) Includes middle schools as deemed. Excludes non-maintained special schools. (2) Includes pupils for whom information on stage of SEN has not been established. (3) Number of pupils who have been excluded for a fixed period expressed as a percentage of the total number of pupils who were excluded for a fixed period from the same type of school.  Note: Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10. There may be discrepancies between the sum of constituent items and totals as shown.  Source: Termly Exclusions Survey

Vocational Guidance

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to require all publicly-funded providers of post 16 learning, other than universities, to put in place a programme of careers education.

Parmjit Dhanda: We have no plans to place a statutory duty on providers of post 16 learning to provide a programme of careers education.

JUSTICE

Voting Age

Tom Brake: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what representations she has received since 2005 on lowering the voting age for elections in the UK.

Bridget Prentice: I have received a number of representations since 2005. These have included approximately 36 letters that were mainly from young people, nine letters from Members of Parliament and four Parliamentary Questions.

Children's Panel Solicitors

John Mann: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many children's panel solicitors there are in Nottinghamshire; and how many there were three years ago.

Vera Baird: The Law Society has informed me that there are 36 solicitors currently registered on the children's panel in Nottinghamshire. However they do not hold historical data on specific regions.

Departmental Responsibilities

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what matters concerning the establishment and operation of the Ministry of Justice remain under discussion between her Department and members of the senior judiciary.

Andrew Robathan: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice if she will make a statement on her Department's working group with the senior judiciary on recent reorganisation of government departmental responsibilities.

Harriet Harman: Discussions between the judiciary and the Lord Chancellor and officials in the Ministry of Justice are ongoing.

Postal Votes

Graham Allen: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what provisions are being made to ensure that all those eligible who wish to do so are able to vote via postal voting.

Bridget Prentice: In 2001, postal voting on demand was introduced to encourage greater participation in the electoral process, by allowing electors to vote using a method that is convenient for them.
	The Government continue to believe, given today's lifestyles and its popularity, that people should continue to have the choice of a postal vote available to them. However, the Government also recognises that the integrity of the electoral process must be maintained, and to that end, has introduced new security measures through the Electoral Administration Act 2006 and Regulations, including the introduction of personal identifiers for absent voters.

Court Staff: Regional Pay Rates

Eric Illsley: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice if she will make a statement on the introduction of regional pay rates for court staff.

Harriet Harman: Regional pay is a reality in the economy as a whole-pay variations by location are not new. The system we are introducing offers greater coherence, greater transparency and enables us to target public money most effectively on those areas where there is greatest need. It will allow us to offer competitive salaries to attract and retain staff with the skills we need, where we need them.

Prisons: Treatment Provision

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what steps she is taking to increase provision for treatment in prisons.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Investment in prison health care has increased significantly from 118 million in 2002-03 to 200 million in 2006-07. This includes 20 million specifically available for mental health in-reach services each year from 2006-07. In 2007-08 the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) and the Department of Health are jointly investing 18.7 million in the introduction of the integrated drug treatment system (IDTS) in prisons.

Prison Swimming Pools

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what the running costs are of maintaining swimming pools in prisons in England and Wales; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer on 5 June 2007,  Official Report, column 387W.

Legal Services Bill

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what assessment she has made of the likely impact of the Legal Services Bill, if enacted, on the right to practise of British lawyers  (a) in Germany,  (b) in other European jurisdictions and  (c) outside Europe.

Bridget Prentice: Sir David Clementi considered the impact of his proposals, which form the basis of the Legal Services Bill, on the right of British lawyers to practise in other jurisdictions. Appendix 2 of his Report of December 2004, contained a legal opinion from Slaughter and May which concluded that:
	We believe that Model A and Model B+ are compatible with Community law, international norms and the European Convention on Human Rights.
	Throughout the development of our proposals, we have consistently taken account of the international position, and remain confident that while the proposals in the Legal Services Bill are likely to increase the competitiveness of the legal services industry of England and Wales, they will also safeguard and strengthen its independence.
	The only opposing evidence we have identified came from Bundesrechtsanwltskammer or BRAKwhich is the self-regulatory body of the German legal profession and acts as the umbrella organisation which represents the 27 regional Bars and the Bar at the Federal Court of Justice. BRAK did make representations both to the Joint Committee on the draft legal Services Bill and to Lord Neill of Bladen who debated some of the issues raised by BRAK during Lords passage of the Bill.

Legal Services Bill

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what representations she has received on the impact of the Legal Services Bill on the right to practise of British lawyers  (a) in Germany,  (b) in other European jurisdictions and  (c) outside Europe.

Bridget Prentice: I have received no representations from bodies which are responsible for the recognition or regulation of legal professions in other jurisdictions about the impact of the right of British lawyers to practise as a result of the Legal Services Bill. However, I am aware that the Bundesrechtsanwltskammer or BRAKwhich is the self-regulatory body of the German legal profession and acts as the umbrella organisation which represents the 27 regional bars and the bar at the Federal Court of Justicedid make representations both to the Joint Committee on the Draft legal Services Bill and to Lord Neill of Bladen who debated some of the issues raised by BRAK during Lords passage of the Bill.
	Of particular relevance in this context, appendix 2 of Sir David Clementi's report of December 2004 contained an opinion from Slaughter and May, which concluded that:
	We believe that both Model A and Model B+ are compatible with Community law, international norms and the European Convention on Human Rights.

Children: Abuse

John Battle: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what plans she has to bring forward proposals to make the  (a) creation and  (b) possession of (i) cartoon and (ii) computer generated graphic images of the sexual abuse of children a criminal offence.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government are consulting on the issues raised in respect of the possession of non-photographic visual depictions of child sexual abuse, including the option of creating a new offence of possession of such material. The consultation period ends on the 22 June 2007. The Government will publish a summary of responses and its conclusions.

Crime: Greater London

Don Foster: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice 
	(1)  how many crimes  (a) were and  (b) are alleged to have been committed in the Metropolitan Police District by offenders convicted of child abuse and wearing electronic tags in each London borough in each year since their introduction;
	(2)  how many crimes were  (a) committed and  (b) alleged to have been committed in the Metropolitan Police District by offenders wearing electronic tags in each London borough in each year since their introduction;
	(3)  how many offenders convicted of child abuse  (a) re-offended and  (b) are alleged to have re-offended in the Metropolitan Police District while wearing electronic tags in each London borough in each year since their introduction;
	(4)  how many offenders  (a) re-offended and  (b) are alleged to have re-offended in the Metropolitan Police District while wearing electronic tags in each London borough in each year since their introduction.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Data on re-offending committed by offenders wearing electronic tags are only collated centrally for those offenders released on to the Home Detention Curfew Scheme. However, the data are not broken down by the offender's original offence or by the local government area in which any subsequent offence was committed. To provide such information would involve a manual trawl of the data and would incur disproportionate cost.
	Serious violent offenders and all sexual offenders are either statutorily excluded or are presumed unsuitable for release on HDC. In addition, prisoners convicted of other serious offences considered to be of particular concern to the public are also presumed unsuitable for release on HDC unless there are exceptional circumstances.

Crime: Schools

Tom Watson: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of safer schools partnerships in reducing crime in schools.

Bridget Prentice: A University of York evaluation published in January 2006 showed that Safer School Partnerships (SSPs) are proving effective in improving behaviour and attendance, with truancy falling significantly and pupils feeling much safer. Unfortunately this evaluation was not able to measure any changes in offending because the appropriate data were not held. However, positive feedback on changes in behaviour and offending has also been received from many police officers, teachers and other local agencies that have been involved in SSPs.

Departments: Consultants

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how much the Department for Constitutional Affairs spent on consultancy and professional services in 2006-07.

Vera Baird: Expenditure by the Department for Constitutional Affairs to 30 November 2006 was 7.8 million on consultancy and 12.4 million on other professional services. Figures for the full year are currently being collated and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as they are available.

Industrial Health and Safety: Coroners

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what steps she has taken to ensure that health and safety regulations requiring employers to make a suitable and sufficient assessment of risks to health and safety to which employees are exposed while at work have been carried out by those responsible for coroners and coroners' officers.

Harriet Harman: Coroners are appointed and funded by the relevant local authority. Their officers are employed by the relevant local authority or police authority. The issue of the health and safety in coroner's offices is a matter for the relevant local authorities and police authorities.

Legal Services Board: Public Appointments

Oliver Heald: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what representations the Government have received from consumers of legal services on the concurrence of the Lord Chief Justice in appointments of members to the proposed Legal Services Board.

Bridget Prentice: We have discussed the issue of the concurrence of the Lord Chief Justice in appointments of members of the Legal Services Board with the Secretary of State's Consumer Advisory Panel, established to advise on the Ministry's programme of reform of legal services regulation and delivery. The panel's view was that peers' amendments to require the concurrence of the Lord Chief Justice in appointments to and dismissals from the board should be overturned.
	We have also had a number of separate meetings with a broad range of consumer organisations during the passage of the Legal Services Bill. The issue of concurrence has been discussed at several of those meetings and all such organisations were opposed to the amendments made in the House of Lords on Lord Chief Justice concurrence.

Life Imprisonment: North West Region

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what the profiled maximum number of prisoners with sentences of indeterminate imprisonment for public protection (IPP) and life sentences is in each prison in the North West Region; and what the number of IPP and life sentenced prisoners is in each of those prisons on the most recent date for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information on the numbers of prisoners sentenced to life or indeterminate sentences for public protection held in prison establishments in the North West prison region in England can be found in the following table:
	
		
			  Life/IPP population in prisons in NW region( 1) 
			  Establishments in the NW region with IPP/Life population  Rounded IPP/Life population figures 
			 Total 1,000 
			 Altcourse 70 
			 Buckley Hall 20 
			 Forest Bank 40 
			 Garth 250 
			 Hindley 30 
			 Haverigg 20 
			 Kirkham 30 
			 Lancaster 0 
			 Lancaster Farms 30 
			 Liverpool 120 
			 Manchester 180 
			 Preston 50 
			 Risley 60 
			 Styal 30 
			 Wymott 60 
			 (1) Extract taken on 30 April 2007.  Note: These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems, which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing. 
		
	
	The issue of what is acceptable as the maximum number of such prisoners held in prison establishments against the available resources for their treatment and training is currently the subject of court action in the form of a judicial review to be heard on 22 June and in these circumstances it would not be appropriate for me now to make a statement on this part of the question.

Mentally Disturbed Offenders

Mike Hancock: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice 
	(1)  what plans she has for improving the  (a) treatment and  (b) facilities for offenders suffering from (i) psychotic illnesses and (ii) other mental illnesses; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what plans she has to improve the screening of offenders for  (a) mental illnesses and  (b) drug addiction; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Under the Mental Health Act 1983 the courts have powers to assess mentally disordered offenders before sentencing and to divert them to receive specialist treatment in hospital rather than punishment. The police also have the power under the Act to remove a person who appears to be suffering from mental disorder to a place of safety. The Government plan to publish guidance this year to the NHS and partner agencies which supports the development of local diversion services by building on current best practice.
	The prison population has a disproportionately high prevalence of mental illness, and so it has been the policy of the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office and Department of Health to improve the provision of mental health services in our prisons.
	Beginning in 2003, and completing in April 2006, the national health service took over the commissioning responsibility for all prison health services in public sector prisons. This was previously the responsibility of the Prison Service. One of the main reasons this transfer has made was to help ensure that prisoners had better access to mainstream health services.
	All prisoners, both new prisoners and those transferred in from one prison to another, benefit from a new health screening process, introduced across the prison estate in 2004, that is designed to detect physical and mental health problems.
	Prisoners who are identified as needing further help can be referred to a mental health in-reach team, who will arrange further assessment and follow up referral.
	Investment in prison mental health in-reach services has been steadily increasing, with nearly 20 million invested in these services each year since 2004-05, and 360 whole time equivalent staff employed, more than the initial commitment in the NHS Plan to create 300 posts.
	People who are mentally too ill to remain in prison should be transferred to hospital. We have introduced tighter monitoring to identify prisoners waiting an unacceptably long period for transfer to hospital, and a protocol was issued to prisons and primary care trusts in October 2005 setting out what must be done when a prisoner has been waiting for a hospital place for more than three months following acceptance by the national health service.
	These measures have helped bring about positive results. In 2006, 33 per cent. more prisoners, with mental illness too severe for prison, were transferred to hospital than in 2002up to 961 from 723. There has been a significant decrease in the number of people waiting over 12 weeks for a transferin the quarter ending March 2007, 40 prisoners were waiting, down from 51 in the same quarter in 2005.
	The healthcare screening process also inquires about drug and alcohol use, and looks for evidence of dependence in those who report current or recent use. Reception screening should be focused to ensure that appropriate prescribed clinical management is undertaken by a doctor soon after reception. Clinical drug testing is used to establish the level of opiate dependence before clinical management begins. The new Integrated Drug Treatment System is introducing National Treatment Agency models of care to 49 prisons.

Northern Ireland Court Service: Interpreters

Lady Hermon: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many interpreters were employed by the Northern Ireland Courts Service in each of the last five years, broken down by language; and what the cost was in each year.

David Hanson: The Northern Ireland Court Service (the Court Service) engages language interpreters required for criminal, civil and family proceedings on a fee paying basis, as such language interpreters are not employees of the Court Service.
	The number of language interpreters engaged to work in criminal courts, broken down by language, and with costs for each of the last five years and the number of language interpreters engaged to work in the civil and family courts, broken down by language, and with costs for each of the last five years can be found in the table as follows.
	
		
			  Interpreters in criminal courts 
			  Language  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Albanian 3  1  1 
			 Algerian 1 
			 Arabic 1  5 9 19 
			 Bengali 214 
			 Bulgarian  3
			 Cantonese 9 10 8 34 11 
			 Czech   3 4 7 
			 Danish 1 2
			 Dutch 2 14
			 East Timor5 13 
			 Eritrean 2 
			 Estonian 4 
			 Ethiopian  
			 Farsi 1 
			 French 16 12 1 3 15 
			 German 2 
			 Hakka 1 
			 Hungarian   2 1 9 
			 Italian  2  2 3 
			 Kurdish  1
			 Latvian   1 14 36 
			 Lithuanian   48 277 344 
			 Mandarin 6 2 7 30 43 
			 Pilipino   24  4 
			 Polish  2 4 47 209 
			 Portuguese 9 9 45 67 63 
			 Romanian  8 24 15 24 
			 Russian 5 62 9 19 90 
			 Slovakian3 15 
			 Spanish 2   1  
			 Tagalog10 4 
			 Tunisian   2   
			 Turkish 2  1  3 
			 Ukrainian2 2 
			 Urdu   7   
			 Vietnamese 2 
			 Total 64 127 192 543 936 
			   
			 Total costs () 4,591 33,956 53,552 118,470 190,202 
		
	
	
		
			  Interpreters requested in civil and family court 
			  Language  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Cantonese  1
			 Polish 2 
			 Portuguese 1 
			 Russian  1
			 Turkish 2 
			 Total  2   5 
			   
			 Total costs ()  851   1,053

Offensive Weapons

David Ruffley: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice 
	(1)  how many and what percentage of people convicted of encouraging violent behaviour involving the use of a knife under the Knives Act 1997 received  (a) a fine and  (b) a custodial sentence of (i) less than six months, (ii) six to 12 months, (iii) 12 to 18 months and (iv) 18 to 24 months in (A) Suffolk, (B) Bedfordshire, (C) Cambridgeshire, (D) Essex, (E) Hertfordshire and (F) Norfolk in each year since the Act was introduced;
	(2)  how many people were found guilty of offences related to the illegal sale and marketing of knives in  (a) Suffolk,  (b) Bedfordshire,  (c) Cambridgeshire,  (d) Essex,  (e) Hertfordshire and  (f) Norfolk in each year since 1997.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	No persons convicted or sentenced under the Knives Act 1997 in the police force areas mentioned were reported to the Home Office court proceedings database during the years 1997 to 2005.

Orders and Regulations

Danny Alexander: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many statutory instruments were  (a) made,  (b) repealed and  (c) amended in each of the last five years.

Vera Baird: The following table provides details of the number of UK statutory instruments made in each year from 2002 to 2006 and for the first five months of 2007:
	
		
			   Number of UK General SIs made by UK Government Departments  Number of UK Local SIs made by UK Government Departments  Number of UK SIs made by the National Assembly for Wales  Total number of UK Sis 
			 2002 1,592 1,365 314 3,271 
			 2003 1,512 1,521 321 3,354 
			 2004 1,495 1,660 297 3,452 
			 2005 1,580 1,746 273 3,599 
			 2006 1,430 1,766 313 3,509 
			 2007 (to end May) 683 747 130 1,560 
		
	
	Updated statistics in relation to statutory instruments are also available on the OPSI website at: http://www.opsi.gov.uk/si-statistics.htm. No records are maintained centrally of the number of statutory instruments that have been repealed and amended and this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Prison Accommodation

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what proportion of inmates detained in the prison estate are held in areas designated as dormitory accommodation in  (a) the juvenile estate,  (b) male prison establishments and  (c) female prison establishments, broken down by category of establishment; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The number of prisoners held in dormitory accommodation, as defined in Prison Service Instruction 09/2007 Smoke Free Legislation: Prison Service Application, is as follows:
	
		
			  Establishment  Male prisoners (closed conditions)( 1)  Male prisoners (open conditions)( 2)  Women prisoners  Total 
			 Askham Grange 0 0 20 20 
			 Brockhill 8 0 0 8 
			 Dorchester 4 0 0 4 
			 Dover(3) 105 0 0 105 
			 East Sutton Park 0 0 50 50 
			 Foston Hall 0 0 3 3 
			 Hewell Grange 0 130 0 130 
			 Holloway 0 0 169 169 
			 Lancaster Castle 45 0 0 45 
			 New Hall 0 0 13 13 
			 North Sea Camp 0 0 0 0 
			 Norwich 3 0 0 3 
			 Styal 0 0 6 6 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 15 0 0 15 
			 Total 180 130 261 571 
			 (1) Male prisoners held in closed dormitory conditions are lower security prisoners, invariably category C. (2) Male prisoners held in open dormitory conditions are category D prisoners. (3) Dover is a Border and Immigration Agency removal centre managed by the Prison Service. 
		
	
	There is further accommodation that has been converted into cubicles from former dormitories, which may not have separate ventilation. The numbers of prisoners held in this accommodation is not recorded centrally.
	No prisoners aged under 18 are held in dormitory accommodation.

Prison Accommodation

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what proportion of the space within the prison estate is designated as private residential space; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: An assessment of the proportion of the total prison estate used as private residential space could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. All cells containing up to four persons will be regarded as private residential space for the purposes of designation as places where smoking is permissible when occupied only by smokers.

Prison Officers' Association: Pay

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice whether the National Chairman of the Prison Officers' Association is entitled to receive the inner London local pay uplift; whether the post attracts this allowance; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The remuneration of a Prison Service employee is determined by various factors, which takes into account their grade, location of their work and other relevant circumstances. It is not appropriate to disclose the remuneration details of individual employees.

Prison Service: Ethnic Groups

Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what percentage of prison officers in each prison are from an ethnic minority.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information on the percentage of officer grade staff recorded as Black and Minority Ethnic expressed as the percentage of officers who have declared their ethnicity is shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) officers as a percentage of officers who have declared their ethnicity in public sector prisons as at 31 May 2007 
			  Establishment  BME (percentage) 
			 Acklington 0.9 
			 Albany 1.9 
			 Ashwell 2.8 
			 Askham Grange 5.7 
			 Aylesbury 9.2 
			 Bedford 7.4 
			 Belmarsh 9.1 
			 Birmingham 13.2 
			 Blakenhurst 5.2 
			 Blantyre House 4.9 
			 Blundeston 3.9 
			 Brinsford 8.8 
			 Bristol 2.5 
			 Brixton 26.7 
			 Brockhill 6.4 
			 Buckley Hall 3.0 
			 Bullingdon 3.6 
			 Bullwood Hall 2.4 
			 Camp Hill 1.2 
			 Canterbury 1.8 
			 Cardiff 2.5 
			 Castington 1.4 
			 Channings Wood 2.2 
			 Chelmsford 5.5 
			 Coldingley 2.9 
			 Cookham Wood 1.1 
			 Dartmoor 4.8 
			 Deerbolt 0.0 
			 Dorchester 0.0 
			 Dover 5.6 
			 Downview 9.3 
			 Drake Hall 2.4 
			 Durham 0.7 
			 East Sutton Park 0.0 
			 Eastwood Park 0.7 
			 Edmunds Hill 3.0 
			 Elmley 1.8 
			 Erlestoke 3.4 
			 Everthorpe 0.5 
			 Exeter 1.7 
			 Featherstone 3.4 
			 Feltham 15.4 
			 Ford 3.1 
			 Foston Hall 3.9 
			 Frankland 1.5 
			 Full Sutton 0.8 
			 Garth 0.7 
			 Gartree 4.9 
			 Glen Parva 4.3 
			 Gloucester 4.0 
			 Grendon 6.6 
			 Guys Marsh 3.0 
			 Haslar 5.5 
			 Haverigg 1.6 
			 Hewell Grange 0.0 
			 High Down 7.9 
			 Highpoint 1.5 
			 Hindley 3.1 
			 Hollesley Bay 1.9 
			 Holloway 34.1 
			 Holme House 0.0 
			 Hull 3.1 
			 Huntercombe 6.7 
			 Kennet 0.0 
			 Kingston 3.9 
			 Kirkham 2.9 
			 Kirklevington Grange 2.0 
			 Lancaster 1.0 
			 Lancaster Farms 2.9 
			 Latchmere House 7.7 
			 Leeds 5.3 
			 Leicester 5.7 
			 Lewes 4.9 
			 Leyhill 2.4 
			 Lincoln 1.8 
			 Lindholme 1.9 
			 Littlehey 4.2 
			 Liverpool 0.2 
			 Long Lartin 1.8 
			 Low Newton 0.6 
			 Maidstone 3.8 
			 Manchester 2.1 
			 Moorland 4.2 
			 Morton Hall 2.5 
			 New Hall 4.9 
			 North Sea Camp 0.0 
			 Northallerton 3.0 
			 Norwich 5.2 
			 Nottingham 4.0 
			 Onley 3.0 
			 Parkhurst 2.5 
			 Pentonville 24.7 
			 Portland 3.0 
			 Preston 2.5 
			 Ranby 2.7 
			 Reading 8.0 
			 Risley 0.7 
			 Rochester 6.3 
			 Send 4.8 
			 Sheppey Reducing Reoffending 2.9 
			 Shepton Mallet 1.5 
			 Shrewsbury 3.4 
			 Stafford 2.9 
			 Standford Hill 4.2 
			 Stocken 3.6 
			 Stoke Heath 3.8 
			 Styal 4.7 
			 Sudbury 4.3 
			 Swaleside 2.3 
			 Swansea 0.6 
			 Swinfen Hall 4.1 
			 The Mount 9.9 
			 The Verne 0.9 
			 Thorn Cross 1.6 
			 Usk/Prescoed 2.0 
			 Wakefield 1.8 
			 Wandsworth 19.9 
			 Warren Hill 3.3 
			 Wayland 1.8 
			 Wealstun 1.9 
			 Wellingborough 4.4 
			 Werrington 3.6 
			 Wetherby 4.4 
			 Whatton 5.1 
			 Whitemoor 3.2 
			 Winchester 0.5 
			 Woodhill 2.7 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 23.3 
			 Wymott 2.1 
			 HQ 14.3 
			 Public Sector Prison Service 5.0 
			  Note: For public sector prisons, officer grade is all prison officers, senior officers and principal officers. 
		
	
	
		
			  Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) officers as percentage of officers who have declared their ethnicity in private prisons as at 31 March 2007 
			  Establishment  BME (percentage) 
			 Ashfield 1.1 
			 Doncaster 1.1 
			 Dovegate 3.1 
			 Lowdham Grange 2.2 
			  Note: For private prisons, officer grade is prison custody officer. It was not possible to obtain information about the remaining private prisons in England and Wales in the time available to answer this question.

Prison Service: Pay

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice whether the required hours allowance is consolidated into pay on the promotion to senior operational manager of an individual previously in a non-operational post within HM Prison Service and in receipt of that allowance on the discretion of the area manager; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: HM Prison Service policy is that managers in paybands E, F and G that are in receipt of required hours addition allowance and are promoted to senior manager have the allowance added to basic salary and the promotion increase calculated on the resultant salary.

Prison Service: Pay

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice whether all heads of personnel at prison establishments are entitled to receive the regulations allowance; on what basis those so entitled have the entitlement; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: HM Prison Service does not pay a regulations allowance.

Prison Service: Sick Leave

Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what the average amount of sick leave taken by prison officers in each prison was in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information on the average number of working days taken as sick leave by officer grade staff in each prison establishment over the past five years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Working days lost to sickness absence by officer grade staff by establishment public sector prisonsfinancial years 2002-03 to 2006-07 
			   Working days lost per officer per year 
			  Establishment  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Acklington 14.2 12.8 11.6 12.1 15.0 
			 Albany 13.2 11.6 9.3 7.5 10.6 
			 Ashwell 15.2 11.5 10.4 7.4 8.4 
			 Askham Grange 19.4 6.9 8.5 10.0 4.9 
			 Aylesbury 19.5 14.9 17.0 12.4 11.5 
			 Bedford 19.9 8.0 11.6 10.2 8.0 
			 Belmarsh 22.9 14.2 13.6 14.9 11.8 
			 Birmingham 13.9 10.8 11.8 13.5 11.9 
			 Blakenhurst 17.8 15.3 15.4 10.5 10.5 
			 Blantyre House 8.2 10.0 8.6 5.9 7.5 
			 Blundeston 14.0 22.0 15.7 16.8 9.0 
			 Brinsford 11.8 13.8 13.8 14.9 9.7 
			 Bristol 15.5 16.7 16.6 21.0 18.0 
			 Brixton 20.8 19.4 19.5 19.4 9.1 
			 Brockhill 27.6 20.9 20.2 23.5 22.7 
			 Buckley Hall 22.9 21.3 15.1 14.9 14.0 
			 Bullingdon 16.2 15.6 13.4 10.8 11.6 
			 Bullwood Hall 6.1 12.2 10.2 10.8 9.9 
			 Camp Hill 9.2 12.7 11.4 10.9 8.1 
			 Canterbury 14.9 14.4 9.8 9.6 12.9 
			 Cardiff 9.7 7.9 7.4 10.4 10.5 
			 Castington 20.2 12.7 16.2 12.8 10.3 
			 Channings Wood 14.3 20.9 14.8 16.9 12.5 
			 Chelmsford 14.7 13.2 10.1 8.1 7.8 
			 Coldingley 10.2 12.0 14.5 13.6 9.1 
			 Cookham Wood 16.2 28.0 16.5 12.6 13.1 
			 Dartmoor 23.5 20.4 16.3 13.5 10.9 
			 Deerbolt 17.3 8.8 14.5 11.6 15.9 
			 Dorchester 15.9 13.5 10.9 16.7 11.5 
			 Dover 15.0 16.8 20.0 14.1 9.2 
			 Downview 16.8 21.4 15.2 12.7 12.7 
			 Drake Hall 11.4 12.2 14.9 15.4 13.2 
			 Durham 15.8 16.8 16.1 12.9 16.0 
			 East Sutton Park 17.2 18.9 7.0 20.2 18.7 
			 Eastwood Park 28.4 17.6 16.9 15.4 17.4 
			 Edmunds Hill 18.8 17.5 14.3 12.0 13.3 
			 Elmley 13.7 16.6 16.6 11.8 10.2 
			 Erlestoke 11.7 10.1 12.0 11.4 14.6 
			 Everthorpe 8.2 11.0 15.4 8.9 9.2 
			 Exeter 18.7 15.3 17.2 14.4 11.1 
			 Featherstone 9.9 11.5 19.5 15.5 10.5 
			 Feltham 16.7 13.9 15.1 15.3 14.6 
			 Ford 21.7 28.8 18.8 16.9 18.9 
			 Foston Hall 19.9 12.0 25.0 18.1 24.7 
			 Frankland 13.6 10.7 11.3 14.7 13.3 
			 Full Sutton 13.5 10.4 10.8 10.9 13.6 
			 Garth 14.8 10.4 11.4 14.7 16.7 
			 Gartree 8.7 8.8 9.8 14.1 16.1 
			 Glen Parva 18.9 14.3 10.1 8.3 9.6 
			 Gloucester 17.9 20.1 13.8 14.4 10.0 
			 Grendon 21.5 14.3 14.3 15.0 11.0 
			 Guys Marsh 21.2 20.6 16.2 17.9 16.2 
			 Haslar 20.4 16.0 18.8 10.7 7.6 
			 Haverigg 14.0 17.8 24.3 19.3 15.6 
			 Hewell Grange 18.7 5.7 9.6 5.2 10.7 
			 High Down 21.6 13.3 13.9 11.5 13.3 
			 Highpoint 15.5 8.9 12.7 12.0 10.4 
			 Hindley 24.8 33.2 25.9 20.2 15.5 
			 Hollesley Bay 6.9 18.6 10.5 6.5 5.5 
			 Holloway 28.0 20.2 15.0 11.0 10.8 
			 Holme House 20.9 12.9 13.6 15.2 14.1 
			 Hull 11.0 11.9 12.7 12.9 12.0 
			 Huntercombe 16.2 19.6 17.6 17.8 17.1 
			 Kingston 24.0 14.6 7.8 6.4 10.4 
			 Kirkham 14.2 16.2 13.2 16.6 16.0 
			 Kirklevington Grange 6.7 6.1 9.8 9.1 9.1 
			 Lancaster 11.9 7.8 11.3 15.8 18.8 
			 Lancaster Farms 13.8 15.6 18.4 13.4 17.2 
			 Latchmere House 13.7 13.0 6.7 15.9 6.1 
			 Leeds 19.9 14.8 14.9 15.5 14.1 
			 Leicester 19.4 8.2 7.3 9.1 8.9 
			 Lewes 17.4 15.7 12.1 13.6 13.7 
			 Leyhill 13.1 12.3 12.2 14.1 13.3 
			 Lincoln 23.1 15.3 15.8 11.1 11.9 
			 Lindholme 13.9 12.1 15.2 14.4 14.2 
			 Littlehey 16.2 12.7 15.9 8.7 10.6 
			 Liverpool 23.0 23.2 22.2 10.7 13.0 
			 Long Lartin 10.6 13.9 11.2 9.2 11.1 
			 Low Newton 12.1 13.0 13.5 12.9 12.3 
			 Maidstone 19.5 22.7 17.0 16.8 14.4 
			 Manchester 20.8 17.3 11.3 11.1 10.9 
			 Moorland 12.2 10.3 11.4 12.3 15.3 
			 Morton Hall 13.7 18.7 14.3 9.7 11.5 
			 New Hall 17.5 19.0 20.2 21.4 19.5 
			 North Sea Camp 14.2 11.8 9.5 25.1 13.8 
			 Northallerton 20.6 22.1 30.8 16.0 12.3 
			 Norwich 19.9 10.0 8.9 12.9 15.3 
			 Nottingham 13.4 13.0 16.0 14.5 12.4 
			 Onley 21.3 12.4 22.3 25.0 10.3 
			 Parkhurst 19.2 13.3 15.6 10.3 11.2 
			 Pentonville 18.7 15.9 17.3 14.5 12.1 
			 Portland 21.5 19.0 26.3 18.7 13.7 
			 Preston 19.6 22.7 11.4 10.1 9.5 
			 Ranby 18.3 13.8 7.1 10.5 12.7 
			 Reading 16.3 15.5 11.3 15.3 10.9 
			 Risley 29.7 22.4 18.0 22.9 20.4 
			 Rochester 27.9 24.3 18.2 14.0 11.1 
			 Send 13.5 15.9 12.6 10.5 11.8 
			 Shepton Mallet 13.8 13.6 12.8 10.9 9.9 
			 Shrewsbury 17.6 15.2 7.4 9.4 13.1 
			 Stafford 19.9 17.1 13.3 13.8 13.5 
			 Standford Hill 17.0 16.3 10.7 13.6 15.8 
			 Stocken 8.2 11.1 14.5 15.7 12.3 
			 Stoke Heath 23.2 20.1 18.7 18.0 22.8 
			 Styal 15.9 16.8 11.4 15.1 15.0 
			 Sudbury 10.9 11.9 10.0 10.1 8.5 
			 Swaleside 13.7 13.0 10.0 12.1 7.0 
			 Swansea 12.9 10.5 9.9 13.8 12.2 
			 Swinfen Hall 9.9 8.1 9.5 11.0 10.5 
			 The Mount 14.6 15.7 8.1 8.7 5.9 
			 The Verne 9.4 10.9 12.4 12.6 11.3 
			 Thorn Cross 22.3 19.9 18.0 16.5 12.5 
			 Usk/Prescoed 11.0 5.4 2.6 8.5 13.1 
			 Wakefield 14.0 15.0 14.5 11.7 12.9 
			 Wandsworth 21.1 19.9 14.4 13.1 12.9 
			 Warren Hill 72.1 12.9 10.6 11.5 11.1 
			 Wayland 8.2 10.5 9.4 5.9 7.9 
			 Wealstun 9.8 8.3 11.5 14.4 13.4 
			 Weare 16.6 22.6 15.5 2.9 Closed 
			 Wellingborough 18.0 14.6 17.0 21.1 15.8 
			 Werrington 19.3 16.5 12.2 17.6 18.8 
			 Wetherby 18.1 17.7 17.4 14.5 12.4 
			 Whatton 11.1 9.7 9.2 11.0 7.7 
			 Whitemoor 18.7 16.5 15.6 16.4 14.2 
			 Winchester 16.2 20.5 18.6 12.2 12.0 
			 Woodhill 19.0 15.3 14.3 17.0 13.1 
			 Wormwood Scrubs 22.8 23.2 12.3 11.5 13.0 
			 Wymott 15.3 15.0 18.5 18.1 16.1 
			 HQ 9.4 7.5 5.6 6.3 7.0 
			 Public sector Prison Service 17.1 15.2 14.1 13.5 12.8 
			  Note: For public sector prisons, officer grade is all prison officers, senior officers and principal officers. 
		
	
	
		
			  Working days lost to sickness absence by officer grade staff by establishment private prisonscalendar years 2002 to 2006 
			   Working days lost per officer per year 
			  Establishment  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 Doncaster 8 9.5 11 11.5 6 
			 Dovegate 16.6 16.4 16.5 16.2 13.5 
			 Lowdham Grange 5 9 15 14 10 
			  Note: For private prisons, officer grade is prison custody officer. It was not possible to obtain information about the remaining private prisons in England and Wales in the time available to answer this question.

Prisoners

Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what percentage of  (a) male and  (b) female prisoners in each region are not imprisoned in their home region, broken down by age.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Prisoners held in prisons outside of their region of origin by age band 
			  Percentage 
			   Male  
			  Prisoners from:  15-17  18-20  21+  Female 
			 East Midlands 100 34 38 71 
			 Eastern 48 58 43 70 
			 London 70 78 63 74 
			 North East 16 14 22 16 
			 North West 23 38 25 41 
			 South East 65 38 33 29 
			 South West 17 32 29 43 
			 Wales 80 35 38 100 
			 West Midlands 18 34 37 86 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 16 25 26 28 
			 Total 45 44 40 60

Prisoners

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what estimate she has made of the percentage of prisoners either of whose parents were sent to prison during their childhood.

Gerry Sutcliffe: This information is not collected centrally. However, data from the 1991 National Prison Survey showed that 11.2 per cent. (341 of 3,050 prisoners interviewed) of convicted non-civil prisoners had experienced a parent in prison at some point (not necessarily during childhood).

Prisoners: Transport

Edward Garnier: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many prisoners were held in prisoner transport vehicles at Crown and magistrates courts  (a) before their hearings and  (b) after their hearings because of lack of room in court cells in the last month; and for how long in each case.

David Hanson: There have been no reports of prisoners held in vehicles either before or after their hearings because of a lack of space in court cells.

Prisoners: Transport

Edward Garnier: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many prisoners were returned to a prison or young offender institution after their court hearing different from that from which they were delivered to court in the last month; and how many who were not released from custody were not returned to prison but kept overnight or for longer in  (a) police stations and  (b) court cells.

David Hanson: In May 2006 management information provided by our contractors show that there were 1,913 prisoners returned to a different prison or young offender institution after their court hearing to that from which they were delivered to court. The number of prisoners, escorted to court from prison, who following their court hearing were kept overnight or longer in police stations was 3,399; the figure for those kept overnight in court cells was 71.

Prisoners: Transport

Edward Garnier: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many  (a) male and  (b) female prisoners aged (i) 21 or more and (ii) 18 to 21 were returned to prison after court hearings having spent more than (A) two, (B) three, (C) four, (D) five and (E) six or more hours in prisoner transport vehicles in the last month.

David Hanson: The information requested is as set out on the following table:
	
		
			  Details of journey times from courts to prisons of over two hoursMay 2007 
			   2 to 3 hours( 1)  3 to 4 hours  4 to 5 hours  5 to 6 hours  Over 6 hours 
			 Male aged over 21 437 187 38 16 11 
			 Female aged over 21 137 40 8 1 3 
			 Male aged 18 to 21 131 42 22 8 2 
			 Female aged 18 to 21 25 7 0 0 0 
			 (1) This excludes information on prisoners escorted from courts in the London and South East whose journeys were between two and three hours as this information is not available.

Prisons: Disciplinary Proceedings

Simon Hughes: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many disciplinary proceedings took place in each prison in each of the last five years; and how many complaints were upheld.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information in the form requested is not readily available. Figures on the numbers and types of offences punished under the prison disciplinary system, and types of establishment, for years before 2002 were published in 'Prison Statistics, England and Wales, 2002' (Command Paper 5996), chapter 8 available at:
	www.archive2.official-documents.co.uk/document/cm59/5996/5996.pdf.
	Figures on types of offence and punishments up to 2005 are published in 'Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2005', Home Office Statistical Bulletin 18/06 at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/hosb1806.pdf.
	The data only include proven adjudication offences nationally, and have not been analysed below this level. The tables on adjudications from chapter 9 of this document (including two tables not included in the bulletin itself) are also available at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb1806section9.xls.

Prisons: Smoking

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice for what reason dormitory accommodation within the prison estate is not considered exempt from the terms of smoking under Prison Service Instruction 09/2007; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Non-smoking prisoners cannot be required to share accommodation with smokers. Designating dormitories for smokers or non-smokers would not provide sufficient flexibility in the use of accommodation.

Prisons: Smoking

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how many enforcement officers will be designated as responsible for ensuring compliance with Prison Service Instruction 09/2007 in  (a) each regional area and  (b) each prison establishment; what frequency is anticipated for deployment of enforcement officer visits at each prison establishment; from which budget source enforcement officers will be resourced and at what estimated cost; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: No enforcement officers are being deployed specifically to ensure compliance with Prison Service Instruction 9/2007. In public sector prisons, Prison Service Area Managers monitor compliance with all Orders and Instructions in the course of routine line management contacts and visits. In contracted prisons, the Home Office Controller on site monitors compliance.

Prisons: Smoking

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how much has been allocated to  (a) the preparation of risk assessments and  (b) reviewing existing assessments on how the health and safety of (i) employees, (ii) visitors and (iii) non-smoking inmates are best protected under the terms of Prison Service Instruction 09/2007; from what budget the funding will be drawn; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: No additional budget was required to carry out these risk assessments.
	The Prison Service has in place policies and procedures for training staff to carry out risk assessments and for carrying out risk assessments to staff and others who may be affected by its undertakings. These have been used in  (a) the preparation of risk assessments and  (b) reviewing existing assessments on how the health and safety of (i) employees, (ii) visitors and (iii) non smoking inmates are best protected under the terms of Prison Service Instruction 09/2007.

Prisons: Smoking

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice 
	(1)  what estimate she has made of the cost of compliance with Prison Service Instruction 09/2007; from what budget these resources will be drawn; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the likely costs arising from the exemption to smoke-free legislation under Prison Service Instruction 09/2007; from what budget this will come; and if she will make a statement;
	(3)  what budget is available for the  (a) commission and  (b) display of signs required under Prison Service Instruction 09/2007; from where the budget for these signs is sourced; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The only visible cost of these arrangements will be a one-off cost for installing relevant signs which are manufactured in prison workshops. No estimate has been made of these costs, which are being met from existing local resources.

Prisons: Smoking

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what mechanisms will be available to ensure that prison cell doors are closed when inmates are smoking, to ensure compliance with Prison Service Instruction 09/2007; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Prison staff will ensure that cell doors are locked or fully closed when prisoners are smoking.

Prisons: Smoking

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what estimate she has made of the cost of installing ventilation systems at each prison establishment in consequence of Prison Service Instruction 09/2007; from what budget such resources will be drawn; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There are no plans to install additional ventilation systems.

Prisons: Smoking

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice how much has been allocated in  (a) HM Prison Service headquarters budget and  (b) individual prison establishment budgets for the implementation of stop smoking services under Prison Service Order 3200; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The NHS has been responsible for commissioning prison healthcare services, including smoking cessation, for publicly run prisons in England since April 2006.
	For each of the financial years 2003-2006, the Department of Health provided an additional 500,000 funding to bring smoking cessation services in line with National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines. Resources are now contained within the baseline funding of NHS primary care trusts.
	Health care arrangements in private prisons are provided under their establishing contract. Information on expenditure on specific health services in these prisons is not collected centrally.

Prisons: Smoking

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what advice she has provided to prison establishments on the provision of accommodation to inmates choosing to smoke during designated periods of association; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The guidance is set out in Prison Service Instruction 9/2007, a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

Prisons: Smoking

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what protection is available to prison officers required to intervene to protect  (a) a prisoner or  (b) a member of staff in danger of immediate harm where smoke has not cleared from the prison cell in question; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Safe systems of work will be in place to allow smoke to clear from cells before routine entry by staff. Staff will be expected to enter cells in an emergency threatening life and limb, even if tobacco smoke is present.

Prisons: Smoking

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what assessment she has made of the impact on  (a) security and  (b) discipline of the terms of Prison Service Instruction 09/2007 that, where an inmate is smoking in a cell, a prison officer is not required to enter the cell until the cigarette smoke has dissipated from the location; what representations she has received in consequence of that condition; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The arrangements set out in PSI 9/2007, which are required to comply with the Smoke Free Legislation (Health Act 2006), were operationally impact assessed by a group of senior operational managers, chaired by the deputy director general of the Prison Service, prior to implementation. Ministers have not received any representations on this matter.

Prisons: Smoking

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what facilities will be available under Prison Service Instruction 09/2007 for  (a) pregnant inmates and  (b) those detained in mother and baby units across the prison estate to smoke; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Pregnant women and prisoners in mother and baby units will be permitted to smoke in cells occupied only by smokers, in the same way as all other prisoners.

Prisons: Smoking

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what mechanism will allow an inmate designated at reception to a prison establishment as a smoker under Prison Service Instruction 09/2007 to change to become designated as a non-smoker; what assessment she has made of the number of cells at each prison establishment to be designated as  (a) smoking and  (b) non-smoking; what mechanisms will ensure that sufficient accommodation for each category of demand is provided; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: A prisoner who recorded their status on reception as a smoker and wishes to change their status to non-smoker, or vice versa, may make an application to wing staff.
	Under PSI 9/2007, all cells containing up to four persons will be designated as places where smoking is permissible when occupied only by smokers. Smokers must not be required to share cells with non-smokers who are actively smoking, but these arrangements enable governors to use accommodation flexibly to meet the changing needs of the prison population.

Reoffenders

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what the re-offending rates were  (a) in each of the last five years and  (b) over the five-year period for those issued with a (i) community rehabilitation order, (ii) supervision order, (iii) community punishment order, (iv) attendance centre order, (v) community punishment and rehabilitation order, (vi) curfew order, (vii) reparation order, (viii) action plan order, (ix) drug treatment and testing order, (x) referral order and (xi) community order; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The following tables show the available figures for reoffending rates for adult and juvenile offenders who started their community penalty in England and Wales in the first quarter of each year. Reoffending rates for adults are calculated over a two-year period and for juveniles over a one-year period. Community orders were introduced in 2005 and therefore data are not yet available for this type of disposal.
	The relationship between disposal and reoffending is complex; the disposal given depends on the characteristics of the offender, which will also affect their chances of reoffending. Further information is available in the most recent Statistical Bulletins on adult and juvenile re-offending which can be found at the following addresses:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs07/hosb0607.pdf
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/hosb1006.pdf
	
		
			  Adults 
			  Percentage 
			  Disposal  2000  2002  2003  2004 
			 Community rehabilitation order 61.1 62.6 60.6 56.9 
			 Community punishment order 40.9 38.9 39.5 37.9 
			 Community punishment and rehabilitation order 61.3 54.4 54.7 52.2 
			 Drug treatment and testing order n/a 88.9 86.3 82.3 
		
	
	
		
			  Juveniles 
			  Percentage 
			  Disposal  2000  2004 
			 Community rehabilitation order 67.3 67.4 
			 Supervision order 71.3 73.6 
			 Community punishment order 61.5 63.8 
			 Attendance centre order 64.6 66.4 
			 Curfew order 78.3 76.4 
			 Reparation order 56.3 69.2 
			 Action plan order 69.8 66.9 
			 Referral order n/a 44.7

Reoffenders

Justine Greening: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what the re-offending rates were  (a) in each of the last five years and  (b) over the five-year period for those issued with intensive supervision and surveillance programme orders; and if she will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: Information on reoffending rates from ISSP is not available in this form. ISSP tackles the most persistent offenders who are often damaged and deprived, and who suffer from mental health problems. This is, therefore an exceptionally difficult group of offenders who present a major challenge to ISSP teams. Nevertheless, despite the report showing 91 per cent. of young people given an ISSP were reconvicted at least once in the two years starting the programmes, it also showed that young offenders on ISSP committed 39 per cent. fewer crimes in the two years after starting the programme and that the seriousness of those crimes reduced by 13 per cent.

Victim Support Schemes: Expenditure

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice what the grant allocation was for the support of victims and witnesses in each year since 2002; what proportion of that grant allocation went to Victim Support in each year; and whether she plans to make a similar proportional allocation in the future.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government funds a wide range of projects and organisations to support victims of crime, such as Sexual Assault Referral Centres and Independent Sexual Violence Advisors for victims of sexual violence, the POPPY scheme for victims of trafficking, and Support After Murder and Manslaughter for homicide victims.
	The Government's main mechanism for delivering emotional and practical support services to victims is through the 30 million grant to Victim Support. In addition, since 2004, the Victims Fund has distributed 5.25 million in grants to support and develop specialist organisations. A further round of the Victims' Fund was opened on Friday 15 June, dedicated to organisations that support homicide and hate crime victims.
	It is expected that the surcharge on fines will raise 16 million in a full year to be spent on a range of services for victims of crime and witnesses.
	The main national grant allocations since 2002 and the proportion, as a percentage, which goes to Victim Support are as follows. Future funding decisions will be made in the light of available resources.
	
		
			   Funding to victim support ( million)  Proportion as a percentage to victim support  Compensation paid by CICA ()  Funding to the victims' fund ( million) 
			 2001-02 25.1 10 233.5  
			 2002-03 29.3 11 232.1  
			 2003-04 30 12 227.5  
			 2004-05 30 14 186.2 1 
			 2005-06 30 14 183.9 3 
			 2006-07 30 14 190.1 1.75

Wetherby Young Offender Institution: Smoking

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Minister of State, Ministry of Justice if she will publish the report of the review into the smoking ban at HM Young Offenders Institution Wetherby conducted in 2005.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The review into the smoking ban at Wetherby was completed in August 2005. A copy of the report is available in the House Library.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Access to Work Programme

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total budget is for the Access to Work scheme in 2007-08; what discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on developing the scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: The budget for the Access to Work programme for 2007-08 is 64 million. The Secretary of State has regular discussions with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on funding for the Department's priorities, including Access to Work. Over the past 10 years the programme's budget has increased four-fold and the programme now helps nearly three times as many people as in 1997.

Access to Work Programme

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total expenditure was on the Access to Work scheme in 2005-06; and how much of that expenditure was spent on promoting the scheme to  (a) employers and  (b) disabled jobseekers.

Anne McGuire: The total expenditure for Access to Work in 2005-06 was 59.8 million.
	The promotion of Access to Work comes under the wider Jobcentre Plus marketing budget. The Department does not record specific marketing expenditure on Access to Work.

Access to Work Programme

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many disabled people were supported by the Access to Work scheme in 2005-06.

Anne McGuire: In 2005-06, 28,514 people were supported by Access to Work.

Access to Work Programme

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people with hearing impediments were supported by the Access to Work scheme in 2005-06.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available.

Access: Disabled People

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the levels of  (a) coverage throughout England of,  (b) usage of and  (c) compliance with requirements and recommendations arising from (i) disabled access statements and (ii) disabled access audits.

Anne McGuire: Design and access statements are required for most types of planning application. While no formal assessment has been made of their use, unless a statement accompanies a relevant application and meets the requirements as to what it includes, a local planning authority in England cannot determine that application.
	Access audits are not a statutory requirement, but may be conducted as a matter of good practice. No assessment has been made of the usage of, and compliance with the recommendations of, access audits. My Department has, however, conducted a series of surveys to monitor how employers and service providers are responding to their duties to make reasonable adjustments under the Disability Discrimination Act. The findings of the most recent research(1) show that levels of physical adjustments for disabled people are increasing. Among employers, there has been a slight increase in those having made adjustments since 2003 (from 42 per cent. to 45 per cent. for adapting the work environment). There has been a larger increase in changes made to physical accessibility by those providing goods, facilities and services (from 47 per cent. to 61 per cent.). Not all disabled people will require physical adjustments to be made to the workplace, or to the premises of a service provider, nor will it always be reasonable for an employer or service provider to make a physical adjustment.
	(1) 'Organisations' responses to the Disability Discrimination Act', DWP Research Report 410

Carers' Allowances: Preston

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the removal of 180 posts at the Carers' Allowance Unit in Preston on services provided by the unit.

Anne McGuire: This is a matter for the chief executive of the Disability and Carers Service, Mr. Terry Moran. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Terry Moran, dated 19 June 2007:
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment he has made of the likely effect of the removal of 180 posts at the Carers' Allowance Unit in Preston on services provided by the unit.
	The Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire MP, promised you a substantive reply from the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service.
	As you will be aware, as part of the Efficiency Challenge all government departments have imposed headcount targets for the period ending March 2008. The headcount target for the Disability and Carers Service for 2007/08 is 5063. The headcount allocation for the Carers Allowance Unit (CAU) for 2007/08 is 723. This represents a reduction of 180 on current headcount.
	Along with all government departments, we are modernising our service delivery and we have specific targets to improve efficiency and reduce the number of people we employ. We are well on the way to meeting both these objectives and, in the CAU, we are doing so by comprehensively reviewing our organisational structure, workflow processes and our handling of customer enquiries. Additionally, we believe we can make further improvements to our productivity and the quality of the work that we do.
	In support of this stretching agenda, we have employed lean' techniques. These have been used in recent years in HMRC, where they have supported a successful efficiency programme. Early trials in the CAU this year have been successful and we have decided that we will now roll out the lean' approach right across the unit. The approach includes additional checking to ensure right first time quality, thus preventing rework, and improving service to customers. Although there may be short-term disruption as staff are trained and adapt to new ways of working, we expect to standardise and improve the service, rather than allow any deterioration.
	We are an agency that continues to focus on delivering improved services to disabled people and carers, and we will ensure that any such short-term disruption to service as a result of headcount reductions is kept to a minimum through constant monitoring of the situation and acting upon what our customers tell us.
	I hope this is helpful.

Carers' Allowances: Preston

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what commitments he has made to the Public and Commercial Services Union in relation to the Disability and Carers Service for Carers' Allowance in Preston, Lancashire.

Anne McGuire: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service, Mr. Terry Moran. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Terry Moran, dated 18 June 2007:
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what commitments he has made to the Public and Commercial Services Union in relation to the Disability and Carers Service for Carers' Allowance in Preston, Lancashire.
	The Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire MP, promised you a substantive reply from the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service.
	Managers in the Disability and Carers Service (DCS) are committed to full consultation with the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) Union on all issues that affect the members of that Union.
	As you will be aware, as part of the Efficiency Challenge all government departments have imposed headcount targets for the period ending March 2008. The headcount target for the Disability and Carers Service for 2007/08 is 5063. The headcount allocation for the Carers Allowance Unit (CAU) for 2007/08 is 723, which represents a reduction of 180 on current headcount.
	To help achieve that target we looked to employ lean' techniques in the CAU and, following a successful trial, the 'lean' approach is now being implemented across the Unit. This approach includes additional checking to ensure right first time quality and improving services for customers.
	Managers in the CAU have held a number of meetings with representatives of PCS to discuss 'lean' techniques since the work started in December 2006, and other meetings have been held to discuss the headcount reductions in the CAU. Since 1st April 2007, CAU managers have met PCS representatives on 6 occasions and a further 2 meetings are planned for later in June. In addition, following a request from PCS representatives, the CAU Manager attended a meeting of PCS members organised by the Union to discuss 'lean' and answer questions.
	The CAU managers consult PCS on various other issues, and in addition to the meetings described above consultation has taken place through written communications on over 30 occasions since 1st April 2007.
	I hope this is helpful.

Council Tax Benefits: Pensioners

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to revise the savings threshold for eligibility to council tax benefit for pensioners.

James Plaskitt: There are no plans to change the savings threshold for eligibility to council tax benefit.
	We keep the capital limits under review as we do for the other income-related benefits. Any changes would have to be considered alongside other priorities.

Departments: Carbon Emissions

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what methodology is used by his Department to account for its carbon emissions.

Anne McGuire: The Department reports on its carbon emissions, in line with the targets for Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate, via the Sustainable Development in Government Report and its own annual Sustainable Development Report.
	The Department measures its carbon emissions based on the amount of energy required to run the buildings that it occupies, and to undertake the main elements of its business travel. DEFRA standard conversion factors are used uniformly throughout.
	For energy use (that is electricity and fossil fuels), actual consumption data is submitted on an annual basis to the Buildings Research Establishment (BRE), which is then weather corrected and the appropriate conversion factor applied by BRE.
	For DWP fleet vehicles, there are two methods used; fuel type, fuel consumption and engine size information is used where it is available; otherwise the appropriate DEFRA conversion factor is applied to mileage data. For business travel that staff undertake in their own vehicles, information on mileage travelled is collected and the relevant DEFRA standard conversion factor, assuming an equal split between petrol and diesel engined vehicles is applied. Mileage for hire cars will be included within this year's calculation.
	The Department participates in the Government's carbon offsetting scheme. Data are collected on the number of miles undertaken by staff on official air travel and the DEFRA conversion factor is applied.
	Data are currently not available for rail travel and taxi journeys but the Department is now investigating the feasibility of collecting and including this into our carbon emission calculations.

Departments: Homeworking

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in his Department have been allowed to work from home for part of the week in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on home working.

Anne McGuire: DWP employees may work from home in two categories:
	(a) Permanently, on a contractual basis; and
	(b) On an ad hoc basis.
	The number of employees who have contracted as permanent home workers are:
	
		
			  As at March each year  Contracted home workers 
			 2004 4 
			 2005 5 
			 2006 6 
			 2007 6 
		
	
	DWP does not collect statistical data about ad hoc home working arrangements.
	Managers may exercise discretion and authorise ad-hoc home working for a variety of reasons.
	The Department recognises the advantage of having a range of different working arrangements, which both meet business needs and enable its employees to balance work and their personal life. Home working is only one of a range of flexible working arrangements that are available to DWP employees.

Departments: Postal Services

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what date the decision was  (a) taken and  (b) enacted to move his Department's post opening and distribution services in Kent from Haden Building Management to the Royal Mail.

Anne McGuire: The information is as follows:
	 (a) The decision to move the Department's post opening and distribution services in Kent from Haden Building Management to the Royal Mail was a consequence of DWP's review of office services. The outcomes from this review were approved by the Department's Executive Team in January 2005.
	 (b) Following competition, Haden Building Management won the contract to deliver the entire Department's Office Services requirements and commenced delivery of these services under the contract from 1 March 2007. Royal Mail is a subcontractor to Haden, opening post at Royal Mail Centres, in secure mail opening units. The new contract commenced on 1 March 2007 and offices within the Kent area moved to the Royal Mail between 16 April 2007 and 7 May 2007.

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was received by his Department from the letting of its properties in each of the last five years.

Anne McGuire: The information requested is in the following table.
	The receipts shown include payments made by other Government Departments and in respect of third party service providers working from our premises.
	
		
			million 
			 2002-03 56.708 
			 2003-04 58.532 
			 2004-05 59.518 
			 2005-06 55.337 
			 2006-07 64.432 
		
	
	Receipts for the Health and Safety Executive and the Rent Service are excluded, as Commercial and Estates Directorate does not hold this information. The Appeals Service is included in the receipts after April 2006, when, as the Tribunal Service, it became part of the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

Departments: Translation Services

David Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent by his Department on translating  (a) documents and  (b) website content into other languages in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Anne McGuire: This information is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: Travel Agents

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department and its agencies paid in travel agencies' fees in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The Department utilises OGC Buying Solutions frameworks for the provision of these services and pays travel agencies' fees for air, rail and ferry bookings. However the information requested is not available centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs. The Department obtains a discount from every business travel booking made through the contracted agents which would not be available should we book directly with the operators. All bookings will attract a commission for the agent from the operator which will be returned to us, the customer, by way of a discount and the discounts negotiated are in excess of the fees charged. These discounts appear on invoices having had any fees deducted, therefore, the fee element is not identifiable from invoices. To identify the fees individually would require an extensive clerical exercise involving officials and the suppliers.

Disability Living Allowance

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many households there are in England and Wales where both spouses or partners claim the higher rate disability living allowance;
	(2)  how many households there are in England and Wales where  (a) a child and  (b) two or more children claim disability allowance in addition to (i) a parent and (ii) both parents or legal guardians;
	(3)  how many households there are in England and Wales where every member of the household claims both disability allowance and carer's allowance.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available.

Disability Living Allowance

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 4 June 2007,  Official Report, column 26W, on disability living allowance, 
	(1)  in what format information relating to  (a) the method of claim and  (b) the time taken to process claims for disability living allowance is held; and what categories of information relating to disability living allowance claims are held centrally;
	(2)  in what format information is held relating to  (a) the method of claim and  (b) the time taken to process claims for attendance allowance; and what categories of information relating to attendance allowance claims are held centrally.

Anne McGuire: Information is held about disability living allowance (DLA) and attendance allowance (AA) claims that are received on-line. The computer systems also calculate the average actual clearance times for all claims processed within the month.
	Information is held centrally on the number of DLA and AA cases received that are processed and outstanding each month. Information is also held centrally on the type and/or rate of the award and the evidence used in determining the claim.

Disability Living Allowance

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many claimants receiving disability allowance have been diagnosed with  (a) stress and  (b) back pain.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available in the format requested. The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Disability living allowance recipients whose main disabling condition is stress or back painNovember 2006 
			  Main disabling condition  Number in receipt 
			  Back pain  
			 D02Spondylosisincluding disc disease, cervical/lumbar etc. 106,560 
			 D03Back painnot specified 108,510 
			 D05Disease of the muscles, bones or joints 211,870 
			  Stress  
			 D45Psychoneurosisincluding anxiety, depression, phobia and hysteria 181,190 
			 D46Personality Disorder 8,560 
			  Notes: 1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 3. Some additional disclosure control has also been applied. 4. Figures are compiled using the broad categories for the main disabling conditions that would include stress or back pain. These categories will therefore include people who do not suffer from stress or back pain. 5. Totals show the number of people in receipt of an allowance, and exclude people with entitlement where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital.  Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Financial Assistance Scheme

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the compatibility of the Financial Assistance Scheme with the judgement of the European Court of Justice in cases where a scheme member's expected pension is greater than 52,000 per year.

James Purnell: The judgment of the European Court of Justice did not deal directly with the question of a cap for high earning pensioners. However, we do consider that the cap of 26,000 is consistent with the social purpose behind the 1980 Directive.

Incapacity Benefit: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department took to implement cognitive behavioural therapy provision for incapacity benefit claimants in the UK in each year since 2005.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 12 June 2007
	Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a practical therapy that helps people to manage their health condition. Jobcentre Plus delivers a CBT-based approach through its condition management programmes. However, it is not designed to replace treatment available to people through the NHS. Where the programme is available, it forms an important element of the range of help available through our Pathways to Work Choices package. Condition management programmes are currently provided in collaboration with the NHS and Jobcentre Plus.

Incapacity Benefit: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many incapacity benefit claimants have undertaken cognitive behavioural therapy in each of the last three years.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 12 June 2007
	The information is not available.

Incapacity Benefit: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many practitioners of cognitive behavioural therapy have been recruited by his Department to work with incapacity benefit claimants in each of the last three years.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 12 June 2007
	This Department does not recruit practitioners of cognitive behavioural therapy. Condition management programmes (CMPs) are provided in collaboration with the NHS and Jobcentre Plus as part of the range of support in Pathways to Work areas. The NHS/primary care trusts are responsible for delivering on CMP contracts in those areas. The numbers of cognitive behavioural therapy-trained staff in each area varies according to local needs and how the programmes are delivered.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people claimed jobseeker's allowance in  (a) 2004 and  (b) 2006 in each parliamentary constituency.

James Plaskitt: The available information has been placed in the Library.

National Insurance Contributions: Rebates

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  a Minister in which Department made the decision not to implement in full the recommendations of the Government Actuary on the level of contracted-out national insurance rebates from April 2008; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  on how many occasions since May 1997 his Department has not accepted recommendations from the Government Actuarial Department; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: Decisions on the level of contracted-out national insurance rebates are a matter for the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions. The current contracted-out rebate rates were set out in the Secretary of State's report laid before each House of Parliament on 1 March 2006 and reflected in the rebate Order made on 30 March 2006. This report gave due consideration to the report of the Government Actuary and to other considerations such as the fiscal conditions which prevailed at the time. As with all decisions which have a major impact on public expenditure, including previous rebate reviews, the recommended rates were agreed with HM Treasury.
	The Secretary of State has departed from the rebate rates recommended by the Government Actuary on two occasions in the period covered by the question, in addition to the one where the Government Actuary's recommendation for rebate rates from 2007 was not fully implemented. The two occasions were the application of a 9.0 per cent. cap on age-related percentages for contracted-out DC schemes for the period 1999-2000 to 2001-02 tax year, and the application of a 10.5 per cent. cap from 2002-03 to 2006-07.

Pension Credit

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what easements of pension credit procedures there were within the Pensions Service in each year from April 2001 to April 2007; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: Pension credit was introduced in October 2003. A number of revisions to standard operating processes were introduced between October 2003 and March 2004 to ensure applications were dealt with effectively during the initial take on period. These revisions covered the following areas:
	means of verifying the uprating of second pensions;
	treatment of unanswered questions on the claim form;
	acceptance of photocopies of certain documents;
	acceptance of claim forms signed in the wrong place;
	evidence required for the backdating of a claim;
	a reduction in the amount of visiting to support programme protection, allowing Local Service to concentrate on pension credit take-up and alleviating pensioner poverty;
	reductions in checking. Our experience of the reduced levels of checking during this period subsequently led to the removal of seven checks and a reduction in the checking level of another six.
	These revisions ended with effect from April 2004 and Pension Centres returned to standard operating procedures.

Pension Credit: Blackpool

Joan Humble: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in Blackpool North and Fleetwood constituency are in receipt of pensions credit.

James Purnell: As at February 2007, 6,670 households in Blackpool North and Fleetwood constituency were receiving pension credit.
	 Notes:
	1. The figure provided is an early estimate. The preferred data source for figures supplied by DWP is the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS). However, the figure provided is the latest available figure, which is taken from the GMS scan at 2 March 2007. These are adjusted using the historical relationship between WPLS and GMS data to give an estimate of the final WPLS figure.
	2. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest ten.
	3. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant postcode directory and are therefore based on the 2005 parliamentary boundaries.
	4. Households are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.
	 Source:
	DWP 100 per cent. data from the Generalised Matching Service (GMS). Pension credit scan taken as at 2 March 2007.

Pension Credit: Lancashire

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in West Lancashire constituency are in receipt of pension credit.

James Purnell: As at February 2007 4,890 households in West Lancashire constituency were receiving pension credit.
	 Notes:
	1. The figure provided is an early estimate. The preferred data source for figures supplied by DWP is the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS). However, the figure provided is the latest available figure, which is taken from the GMS scan at 2 March 2007. These are adjusted using the historical relationship between WPLS and GMS data to give an estimate of the final WPLS figure.
	2. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest ten.
	3. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant postcode directory and are therefore based on the 2005 parliamentary boundaries.
	4. Households are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.
	 Source:
	DWP 100 per cent. data from the Generalised Matching Service (GMS).
	Pension Credit scan taken as at 2 March 2007.

Pension Credit: Telephone Services

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many requests for pension scheme tracking the Pension Tracking Service of the Pension Service received on telephone number 0845 6002 537 in each month since the service has been offered.

James Purnell: The information is in the following table.
	The Pensions Tracing Service started to provide a telephone tracing application service from June 2006.
	
		
			  Number of requests to the Pensions Tracing Service telephone number each month since June 2006 
			   Telephone requests 
			  2006  
			 June 746 
			 July 925 
			 August 829 
			 September 924 
			 October 862 
			 November 949 
			 December 504 
			   
			  2007  
			 January 1,142 
			 February 1,314 
			 March 1,301 
			  Note: Applications received via the telephone service typically represent around 25 per cent. of the volume of applications per month.  Source: Information generated from the Pension Tracing IT system

Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will place in the Library the figures which form the basis of the charts in the two pensions White Papers published in 2006 which are on his Department's website.

James Purnell: The figures which form the basis of the charts in the two pensions White Papers have been placed in the Library.

Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will update and expand chart 3.11 of the Purple Book using information from additional scheme returns since it was published.

James Purnell: This is not a matter for the Secretary of State.
	The Purple Book, published in December 2006, was a joint study by the Pensions Regulator and the Pension Protection Fund (PPF). The statistics were generated through analysis of information collected by the Pensions Regulator from pension scheme returns. Some of this information was further processed by the PPF in collaboration with the Government Actuaries' Department so that valuation information was as at a common date.
	This will be an annual publication.

Pensions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimates are of the number of individuals in contracted out  (a) defined benefit and  (b) defined contribution pension schemes for each year from 1996-97 to 2007-08; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: The information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Membership of contracted-out pension schemes 
			   Million 
			   Type of contracted-out scheme 
			Defined contribution 
			   Defined benefit  Occupational  Personal 
			 1996-97 7.7 0.7 3.5 
			 1997-98 7.6 0.8 3.5 
			 1998-99 7.7 0.8 3.5 
			 1999-2000 7.6 0.7 3.5 
			 2000-01 7.8 0.7 3.5 
			 2001-02 7.7 0.7 3.5 
			 2002-03 7.6 0.6 3.3 
			 2003-04 7.6 0.6 2.9 
			 2004-05 7.6 0.5 2.7 
			 2005-06 7.6 0.4 2.3 
			 2006-07 7.6 0.4 2.0 
			 2007-08 7.5 0.3 1.3 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are for UK and are shown in millions. 2. Figures for defined contribution personal pension schemes include stakeholder pension schemes.  Source: Actual figures derived from Second Tier Pension Provision Statistics for 1996-97 to 2003-04 and DWP estimates thereafter.

Pensions: EC Countries

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the most recent Eurostat projections are of the financial costs of pension provision for member states of the EU.

James Purnell: The information requested is not available.

Pensions: Females

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many women submitted forms to apply for home responsibilities protection in the last 12 months for which figures are available; how many of these women were already drawing a state pension; what proportion of such applicants in each case were successful; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: holding answer 4 June 2007
	 The information requested is not available.

Pensions: Financial Assistance Scheme

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which companies and associated pension funds are eligible for the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS); on which date each company and pension fund were placed in administration; whether a pension holiday had been previously declared in each case; and which funds' members have received payments from the FAS.

James Purnell: The Information has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

Pensions: Financial Assistance Scheme

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many occupational pension schemes which are in wind up are in the formal Financial Assistance Scheme assessment stage; and what the longest time is for which such a scheme has been under assessment.

James Purnell: The Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) do not use the term Assessment Phase.

Pensions: Financial Assistance Scheme

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which piece of data is most often cited by the financial assistance scheme as the reason for delay in commencing financial assistance.

James Purnell: Non receipt of acceptable data from pension scheme trustees and administrators is the main reason for the delay in assessing pension scheme members' entitlement to the FAS. This could be because the data are incomplete, incorrect or are ambiguous, (for example containing additional information which needs to be clarified).

Pensions: Financial Assistance Scheme

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many members of the Financial Assistance Scheme approved for assistance schemes  (a) are not claiming the assistance which they are entitled to and  (b) do not receive assistance because they fall under the de minimis level.

James Purnell: The information is as follows:
	 (a) Nine people who are entitled to FAS assistance have advised the FAS Operational Unit (FASOU) that they do not wish to receive payment. There are also 20 people who have been advised by FASOU that they are entitled, but whose reply to the FASOU to confirm the arrangements for payments has been outstanding for two months or more.
	 (b) 1,355 people are not receiving FAS assistance because they fell under the de minimis level. This figure includes members assessed for both initial and annual payments.

Pensions: Financial Assistance Scheme

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many occupational pension schemes in wind up cannot begin the financial assistance scheme assessment process because they are affiliated members of a body of pension schemes some of which are not in wind up.

James Purnell: We are not aware of any such schemes.

Pensions: Financial Assistance Scheme

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the unfunded liability under the financial assistance scheme is of  (a) Gloystarme and Co.,  (b) Hydra Tools and  (c) United Engineering Forgings.

James Purnell: All three pension schemes have qualified for the Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) and are still winding up. The unfunded liability under FAS will not be known until winding up is completed.

Pensions: Insolvency

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the number of occupational pension schemes winding up with a solvent employer which did not reach compromise agreements between 1997 and 2005 which will not be eligible for help from the financial assistance scheme as proposed to be amended by the Pensions Bill; and what his latest estimate is of the number of members involved.

James Purnell: The number of pension schemes with solvent sponsoring employers which have commenced winding up during the period from 1 January 1997 to 5 April 2005 (the period of eligibility for the financial assistance scheme) is not known. As a result we have made no estimate of the number of members involved.
	The review of scheme assets I announced on 28 March will be looking into the circumstances of those pension schemes (in addition to those with compromise agreements) where although the sponsoring employer did not undergo an insolvency event, it would not be reasonable to expect the employer to have a continuing responsibility for supporting an under funded scheme. The review team has also invited representation from schemes which feel they might be covered under the recently announced extension of FAS and will be reporting to the Secretary of State on these issues later this year with an interim report provided in summer and a final report before the end of the year.

Pensions: Regulation

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects to publish regulations permitting protected rights to be held in self-invested personal pensions.

James Purnell: Draft regulations permitting protected rights to be held in self invested personal pensions will be issued for consultation later this year.

Personal Accounts Savings Scheme

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact of the changes to the upper earnings limit for national insurance contributions from 2009 on the proposed personal accounts savings scheme.

James Purnell: There is no impact. The personal accounts earnings band thresholds will be unrelated to the annual announcements made in the budget on tax and national insurance. As we announced in our response to the consultation on 'Personal Accounts: a new way to save', these will be set between around 5,000 and 33,500 (in 2006-07 terms), uprated thereafter in line with average earnings.

Personal Accounts Savings Scheme

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he intends to increase the upper earnings limit for contributions to the proposed personal accounts saving scheme in line with the proposed increase in the upper earnings limit for national insurance contributions from 2009 which was announced in the 2007 Budget.

James Purnell: The personal accounts earnings band thresholds will be set at around 5,000 and 33,500 (in 2006-07 terms), uprated thereafter annually in line with average earnings. This will establish the thresholds in their own right. The level of the thresholds will be unrelated to the annual announcements made in the budget on tax and national insurance.

Personal Accounts Savings Scheme

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the additional number of employees who would be eligible for the proposed personal accounts savings scheme if the upper earnings limit for contributions were increased to 43,000.

James Purnell: There would be no impact on the number of employees who would be eligible for the proposed personal accounts savings scheme if the upper earnings limit for contributions were increased to 43,000. This is because in companies that opt for personal accounts all employees earning above the lower limit are automatically enrolled into the scheme. Changing the upper limit only changes the earnings on which contributions would be paid not eligibility for automatic enrolment.

Personal Accounts Savings Scheme

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on what date he plans to publish the Government's final proposals on the level of the annual cap on personal contributions to the new personal pension accounts; and if he will make a statement.

James Purnell: The White Paper, 'Personal accounts: a new way to save' consulted on an annual contribution limit of 5,000. The summary of responses, published on 14 June 2007, contains detail on both the level of the limit and how it is to be designed. After further analysis, the Government believe that a contribution limit of 3,600 better balances the need to focus personal accounts on the target market with the need to allow individuals to save flexibly for their retirement. The 3,600 limit will be based on 2005 earnings levels, and will be uprated with earnings from 2005 to implementation in 2012 and beyond.

Personal Accounts Savings Scheme

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the Personal Accounts: A New Way to Save, page 25, whether the Government expects that the default fund will invest in a wide range of  (a) classes of asset and  (b) equities and bonds.

James Purnell: The Personal Accounts Delivery Authority will be tasked with applying its expertise to develop an investment strategy for personal accounts. In doing so, it will consider a wide range of assets classes, including a range of different equities and bonds. Once in operation, scheme trustees will be ultimately responsible for investment decisions, as they would in any other defined contribution occupational scheme.

Remploy: Land

Iain Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the present market value is of the land and property of each Remploy site.

Anne McGuire: The total market value of Remploy's land and property for this year has not yet been audited. The figure at 31 March 2006 after audit was 51.5 million.
	We are not in a position to give the market value of each site, as this information is commercially confidential.

Smith Institute: Finance

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 16 April 2007,  Official Report, column 249W, on the Smith Institute: finance, what the  (a) title and  (b) location was of the staff training course in August 2003; how many staff attended; and from what teams those staff came.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available.

State Retirement Pensions

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the yearly value has been of the basic state pension for  (a) couples and  (b) single pensioners in each year since April 1997.

James Purnell: The information requested is in the following table:
	
		
			   
			  Uprating date  (April each year)  Full rate Category A state pension( 1)  Couples rate (full Category A + Category B(L) state pension)( 1) 
			 1997 81.30 130.00 
			 1998 81.30 130.00 
			 1999 81.30 130.00 
			 2000 81.30 130.00 
			 2001 84.60 135.20 
			 2002 86.60 138.40 
			 2003 87.30 139.60 
			 2004 87.30 139.60 
			 2005 87.30 139.60 
			 2006 87.30 139.60 
			 2007 87.30 139.60 
			 (1) 2007-08 prices.  Notes:  1. These rates are the real terms (prices) value of the Category A and Category A + Category B(L) and BSP and were calculated using the Retail Prices Index. The amounts are rounded to the nearest 10p. These are not the cash values.  2. There is no such thing as a couples rate, though the sum of the Category A and Category B(L) pension is often referred to as such. Similarly there is no such thing as a singles rate though the maximum rate of the Category A pension is commonly referred to as the singles rate.  3. The couples rate is calculated as 160 per cent. of the full Category A.  4. The Category B (lower) pension is about 60 per cent. of the full-rate basic Category A Pension. It is payable by virtue of a spouse's qualifying years or earnings.

Unemployment: Carlisle

Eric Martlew: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were unemployed and claiming benefit in Carlisle on  (a) 1 April 1997 and  (b) 1 April 2007; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: In April 1997 there were 3,060 jobseeker's allowance claimants in the Carlisle local authority area, and in April 2007 there were 1,240.
	 Notes:
	1 .Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	2. Figures are taken from the 2(nd )Thursday of each month.
	 Source:
	Count of unemployment-benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems (including clerically held cases).

Winter Fuel Payments: Overseas Residence

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners living outside the UK received winter fuel payments in each year since such payments were introduced, broken down by country of recipients' residence.

James Purnell: Since 2002, following discussions with the European Commission about the effect of Community law, winter fuel payments have been made to eligible former UK residents living elsewhere in the European economic area or Switzerland provided they qualified for a winter fuel payment before leaving the UK. Although in some cases payments may be made for years before 2002, a separate breakdown of payments for the earlier years is not available. Information on payments made from 2002-03 is in the following table.
	
		
			  Payments made 
			  Country  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Gibraltar 30 50 75 95 100 
			 Republic of Ireland 660 1,395 2,370 3,475 4,375 
			 Austria 15 25 45 85 115 
			 Belgium 20 35 65 105 130 
			 Denmark 10 20 30 50 50 
			 Finland 10 10 20 30 40 
			 France 1,780 3,795 6,470 9,440 11,505 
			 Germany 90 225 370 550 650 
			 Greece 65 150 270 480 655 
			 Italy 95 200 360 595 735 
			 Luxembourg 5 5 10 15 15 
			 Netherlands 25 60 85 145 170 
			 Norway 0 10 15 20 35 
			 Portugal 105 255 450 720 910 
			 Spain 5,165 10,390 16,215 21,380 24,695 
			 Sweden 5 30 40 70 90 
			 Switzerland 10 20 45 90 115 
			 Iceland 0 0 5 5 5 
			 Liechtenstein 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Malta 0 0 265 420 570 
			 Republic of Estonia 0 0 0 5 5 
			 Republic of Latvia 0 0 0 5 10 
			 Republic of Lithuania 0 0 0 5 5 
			 Hungary 0 0 20 55 85 
			 Poland 0 0 25 70 115 
			 Cyprus 0 0 1,395 2,190 3,005 
			 Republic of Slovenia 0 0 0 0 5 
			 Czech Republic 0 0 0 5 10 
			 Slovak Republic 0 0 0 0 0 
			  Notes: 1. The figures for the years 2002-03 and 2003-04 include only automated payments. These account for the great majority of payments made. Figures for clerical payments made in these years are not available broken down by country. However clerical payments are included in the figures from 2004-05. 2. 10 countries joined the European economic area in May 2004. Winter fuel payments could be paid to eligible former UK residents living in these countries from winter 2004-05. The figures for winter 2004-05 include some payments made for earlier years where entitlement had been established but not paid prior to leaving the UK. 3. Figures rounded to the nearest five.

Winter Fuel Payments: Overseas Residence

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was spent on making winter fuel payments to pensioners living outside the UK in the 2006-07 financial year, broken down by country of recipients' residence.

James Purnell: Total winter fuel payments paid to pensioners living outside the United Kingdom in 2006-07 is in the following table.
	
		
			  Country of recipients '  residence  Amount (000) 
			 Austria 20.4 
			 Belgium 22.5 
			 Cyprus 470.5 
			 The Czech Republic 1.4 
			 Denmark 8.2 
			 The Republic of Estonia 1.2 
			 Finland 7.0 
			 France 1,821.7 
			 Germany 110.9 
			 Gibraltar 15.7 
			 Greece 111.3 
			 Hungary 15.0 
			 Iceland 0.8 
			 The Republic of Ireland 736.5 
			 Italy 121.4 
			 The Republic of Latvia 1.9 
			 Liechtenstein 0.2 
			 The Republic of Lithuania 0.5 
			 Luxembourg 3.0 
			 Malta 92.5 
			 Netherlands 30.5 
			 Norway 5.9 
			 Poland 20.2 
			 Portugal 149.0 
			 Spain 3,921.5 
			 The Slovak Republic 0.4 
			 The Republic of Slovenia 0.8 
			 Sweden 16.0 
			 Switzerland 19.8 
			 Total 7,726.5 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred and the late payment run data for 2006-07 are included in the figures.  2. All payments shown include the data held in the system and the clerical data for some countries.

DEFENCE

Abbey Wood Railway Station

James Gray: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contribution his Department made to the construction of the railway station at Abbey Wood, Bristol.

Adam Ingram: The total MOD contribution to the construction costs of Filton Abbey Wood Railway Station (including platform and footbridge) was 400,000 inclusive of VAT.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether all the Mastiff vehicles procured for use in Afghanistan will be delivered by spring 2007.

Adam Ingram: Mastiff protected patrol vehicles have been delivered to Afghanistan and Iraq and are being used in operations.
	I am withholding information on delivery schedules of numbers of vehicles on operations as it would, or would be likely to, prejudice the capability, effectiveness and security of armed forces.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operations

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many members of HM armed forces  (a) returning from action in and  (b) injured whilst serving in (i) Afghanistan and (ii) Iraq have been checked for post-traumatic stress disorder; and how many were in (A) the Army, (B) the Royal Navy and (C) the Royal Air Force;
	(2)  how many members of HM armed forces injured while serving in  (a) Afghanistan and  (b) Iraq have been checked for post-traumatic stress disorder; and how many were in the (i) Army, (ii) Royal Navy and (iii) Royal Air Force.

Derek Twigg: During the operational period from January 2003 to December 2006, 2,333 mobilised British military personnel (regular and reservists) who deployed to Iraq under Operation TELIC were assessed by, and received treatment from, the Defence Medical Services for mental health conditions thought to be related to their deployment. This represents around 2 per cent. of personnel deployed to Op TELIC over the same period.
	Of this number, 363 servicemen fulfilled the diagnostic criteria for post traumatic stress disorder. This represents around 0.3 per cent. of personnel deployed to Op TELIC over the same period.
	Information on the Service of each individual is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Since 2003 we have collated figures on the incidence of mental health diagnoses for Service personnel returning from Iraq. However, at a time when a growing number of personnel have been deployed to other operational theatres in addition to Iraq, it has become increasingly clear that it is difficult to attribute a subsequent mental health condition (which in many cases may not present itself until months or even years later) to Service on a specific deployment. We are currently, therefore, reviewing our methods of collating figures on Service personnel who are diagnosed with a mental health condition.
	We aim to provide first-class medical care on deployed operations in the most challenging of circumstances and surroundings. Commanders and their medical staff can call upon mental health professionals who can provide assessment and care. Operational Theatres are regularly visited by consultant psychiatrists who audit the service provided by the in-theatre mental health professionals.
	There are 15 military Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMH) across the UK (plus satellite centres overseas), which provide out-patient mental healthcare.
	The DCMH mental health teams comprise psychiatrists, mental health nurses, clinical psychologists and mental health social workers. The aim is to see referred individuals at their unit medical centre and, with the patient's permission, to engage with general practitioners and their chain of command to help manage mental health problems identified in personnel.
	A wide range of psychiatric and psychological treatments are available (including psychological therapies, environmental adjustment and medication) where appropriate. The Defence Mental Health Services have particular expertise in psychological treatments for mental health problems in general, and psychological injury in particular.
	The King's Centre for Military Health Research: Ten Year Report, published by Kings College, University of London on a decade's worth of research concerning the health of UK veterans, stated that:
	Mental health screening after deployment is practised in other countries, but is not supported by evidence of benefit and is costly.

Afghanistan: Opium

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what volume of  (a) opium and  (b) other narcotics were (i) seized and (ii) destroyed in Afghanistan by UK forces in each of the last three years.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 15 June 2007
	 I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 14 May 2007,  Official Report, columns 493-95W, to the hon. Member for Ceredigion (Mark Williams).

Aircraft Carriers: Procurement

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to announce a decision on proceeding with the construction of the two new aircraft carriers for the UK.

Des Browne: holding answer 18 June 2007
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State with responsibility for the armed forces on 22 May 2007,  Official Report column 1181W to the hon. Member for Brecon and Radnorshire (Mr Williams).

Ammunition: Testing

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate his Department has made of the rate of failure to detonate or self-destruct of M85 submunitions used in the L20A1 artillery shell on impact  (a) on hard surfaces and  (b) soft terrain.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence does not separately test the rate of failure of M85 submunitions on hard and soft surfaces. I also refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 20 April 2007,  Official Report, column 800W, to my right hon. Friend the Member for Oxford, East (Mr. Smith) for the detail on L20A1 testing.

Armed Forces: Dental Services

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 6 June 2007,  Official Report, column 488W, on the Joint Ministry of Defence and Department of Health Partnership Board, if he will place in the Library the minutes of the last three board meetings.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 14 June 2007
	 I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 4 June 2007,  Official Report, column 174W.

Armed Forces: Electoral Register

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the timetable is for his Department to complete and publish its revaluation survey into electoral registration among members of the armed forces.

Derek Twigg: I am considering the report of the survey. I will write to the hon. Member indicating our intention to publish it in due course.

Armed Forces: Food

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of  (a) all food,  (b) beef and  (c) lamb supplied to forces based in (i) the UK, (ii) Germany, (iii) Iraq and (iv) Afghanistan is sourced from United Kingdom producers.

Adam Ingram: Under the MOD's food supply contract, which commenced on 1 October 2006, approximately 68 per cent. of food items (excluding fresh produce, which is affected by seasonality) supplied to UK forces based in the UK, Germany, Iraq and Afghanistan are sourced from suppliers within the UK. Approximately 55 per cent. of beef and 13 per cent. of lamb and mutton supplied to UK forces in these locations is of British origin.

Armed Forces: Health Services

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will investigate the speed and level of recovery of injured service personnel when they are treated  (a) alongside civilian patients and  (b) within dedicated military hospital wards.

Derek Twigg: The treatment offered to Service personnel is based on their clinical needs. This applies to operational and non-operational casualties. All patients who require admission to hospital are treated in the most appropriate clinical environment according to their clinical need.
	The MOD recognises that, under certain circumstances, the recovery of injured Service personnel can be assisted if they are treated alongside Service colleagues. That is why we have established a Military Managed Ward (MMW) at Selly Oak Hospital, the main receiving hospital for our operational casualties, where military patients can be grouped together when it is clinically appropriate to do so. Equally, however, in some cases their clinical condition will dictate that they be placed in a different location.
	Injured service personnel requiring rehabilitation after hospital treatment can receive this in the Defence Medical Services' (DMS) own facilities, whether at the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) or one of our Regional Rehabilitation Units (RRUs).

Armed Forces: Housing

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of ensuring that unoccupied family accommodation at Pirbright barracks was secured against vandalism and squatters in the latest year for which figures are available; and what it is likely to be in the 2007-08 financial year.

Derek Twigg: For 2006-07 the cost of ensuring that unoccupied service families accommodation at Pirbright barracks was secured against vandalism and squatters, was approximately 30,000. This included the cost of boarding-up, changing the locks and fencing off of empty properties.
	It is too early to estimate a figure for the current financial year.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what plans there are to replace each of the variants of Land Rover used by the armed forces; and whether replacements will be part of the Future Rapid Effects System programme;
	(2)  what consideration has been given to track width of vehicles fulfilling the armed forces Land Rover commitments in the future.

Adam Ingram: It is intended that in future most of the roles currently fulfilled by Land Rover based vehicles will be undertaken by vehicles procured under the Operational Utility Vehicle System (OUVS) programme, which is separate from the FRES programme, or by vehicles such as the Panther command and liaison vehicle. The OUVS requirement will cover a range of vehicle attributes, including wheel base.

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of each variant of Land Rover are available for pre-deployment training; and how many Land Rovers turned over during pre-deployment training during the last four years.

Adam Ingram: The Army and Royal Navy have approximately 7,000 WOLF, 5,000 Defender, 5 WMIK and 100 SNATCH Land Rovers available for training, including pre-deployment training. These figures exclude items which are in deep maintenance and repair, in storage, on loan and with the design authority, used for reference, training aids and specific trials; items deployed on, deploying to or returning from operations and items taken out of use temporarily in order to be converted to Bowman or to be fitted with equipment procured under the Urgent Operational Requirement process. Information relating to the RAF is not held centrally and can only be provided at disproportionate cost.
	The number of Land Rovers recorded as having 'overturned without first colliding' worldwide is shown in the following table. The figures exclude Iraq and Afghanistan but our reporting system does not record whether the accident took place during pre-deployment training and further information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			   TUL TUM HS(WOLF)  SNATCH  WMIK  All other variants 
			 2003 36 1 0 28 
			 2004 48 2 0 36 
			 2005 34 3 0 21 
			 2006 21 1 0 26 
			 2007 13 0 0 7 
			 Total 147 7 0 118 
			  Note: 'All Other Variants' includes Defender Truck Utility Light (TUL)/ Truck Utility Medium Higher Specification (TUM HS)

Armoured Fighting Vehicles

Ann Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the cost per mile, excluding crew costs, was of operating the Panther Command and Liaison vehicle in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(2)  to which units the first batch of Panther Command and Liaison vehicles was delivered; and when they were delivered.

Adam Ingram: The Panther Command and Liaison vehicle has not yet entered service. I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 7 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1982W.
	Cost per mile data is currently under development and is therefore not available.

Army: Official Residences

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the events held at the official residence of the Adjutant-General in each year since 1997; and what the cost was of each event.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 14 May 2007
	Information regarding events held at the official residence of the Adjutant-General is available from 2002 to 2006 only. Information relating to expenditure in 2005 and 2006 has been provided previously and I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 April 2007,  Official Report, column 535W. Figures for previous years are shown in the following tables:
	
		
			  Date  Function  Event/Reason  Cost () 
			 17 January 2002 Dinner ot recorded 259.80 
			 21 January 2002 Dinner Not recorded 221.10 
			 23 January 2002 Dinner Not recorded 176.75 
			 6 February 2002 Lunch Not available 58.08 
			 27 March 2002 Dinner Senior Military Officers and Representative from the media 226.52 
			 10 April 2002 Dinner Unit CohesionSenior Officers and Civilians 256.96 
			 10 June 2002 Dinner Hosting Duke of Westminster and Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire 265.19 
			 8 July 2002 Dinner Official Opening of Trenchard Building by Chief of Air Staff 264.44 
			 8 July 2002 Tea Official Opening of Trenchard Building by Chief of Air Staff 104.03 
			 31 July 2002 Dinner Hosting prominent members of the local civilian community 240.00 
			 4 September 2002 Dinner Hosting Chief of the General Staff, General Officer Commanding 4 Division and Director of Defence Academy 244.63 
			 9 September 2002 Dinner AG's share of Management Board dinner 300.00 
			 15 October 2002 Lunch Working Lunchsenior officers and civil servants within AG Command 39.91 
			 31 October 2002 Lunch Defence Interest/Senior RAFOpening of Trenchard Museum 41.54 
			 1 November 2002 Lunch Working lunch with ACGS 15.99 
			 Total   2,714.94 
		
	
	
		
			  Date  Function  Event/Reason  Cost () 
			 25 February 2003 Dinner Representatives from Army Foundation College Harrogate 166.80 
			 15 April 2003 Lunch Working lunchsenior RAF Officer 12.09 
			 15 April 2003 Dinner Unit CohesionSenior Officers within AG Command 187.33 
			 18 April 2003 Lunch Working lunchSenior Army Officers 69.48 
			 15 May 2003 Dinner Unit CohesionOfficers within AG Command 192.11 
			 29 May 2003 Dinner Scottish Regiment Cohesion 408.65 
			 29 May 2003 Breakfast Scottish Regiment Cohesion 33.20 
			 17 June 2003 Refreshments Unit CohesionOfficers within AG Command 5.15 
			 23 June 2003 Lunch Unit Cohesion (Majors Lunch) 72.27 
			 10 July 2003 Dinner Unit CohesionOfficers within AG Command 192.34 
			 17 July 2003 Dinner Unit CohesionOfficers within AG Command 198.55 
			 22 July 2003 Dinner Church Representatives and Senior Army Officers 186.16 
			 28 July 2003 Dinner Overseas Army Representatives 47.36 
			 28 July 2003 Breakfast Overseas Army Representatives 8.30 
			 29 July 2003 Lunch Working lunch with Chief Constable Civil Police 7.14 
			 19 September 2003 Dinner Unit CohesionOfficers within AG Command 121.27 
			 10 October 2003 Lunch Working LunchOfficers and civilians within AG Command 105.92 
			 28 October 2003 Dinner Unit CohesionOfficers within AG Command 211.59 
			 20 November 2003 Dinner Unit CohesionOfficers within AG Command 204.73 
			 23 November 2003 Dinner COS and Senior Officers 65.54 
			 Total   2,495.98 
		
	
	
		
			  Date  Function  Event/Reason  Cost () 
			 3 February 2004 Dinner Officers within AG Command 195.59 
			 13 February 2004 Dinner Officers within Command and Divisional Aide de Camps 212.93 
			 1 April 2004 Dinner Senior Officers and Officers in AG Command 256.63 
			 21 May 2004 Dinner Hosting Right hon. Michael Ancram (MP) 152.10 
			 27 May 2004 Dinner Council of Scottish Colonels Dinner 503.84 
			 27 May 2004 Lunch Hosting visit United States Assistant Secretary to the Army 350.90 
			 13 July 2004 Dinner Senior Officers and Officers within AG Command 256.00 
			 15 July 2004 Dinner After Cocktail Party Dinner 224.00 
			 6 October 2004 Dinner Senior Officers 166.51 
			 10 Oct 2004 Dinner Dinner Night 183.96 
			 3 November 2004 Lunch Visit of HRH The Duchess of Gloucester 108.50 
			 16 November 2004 Dinner Church Representative and Senior Officers 162.01 
			 28 November 2004 Lunch Senior Officers 100.19 
			 1 December 2004 Dinner Senior Officers 144.41 
			 Total   3,017.57

Bombs

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which cluster munitions held by the UK are designated as  (a) dumb and  (b) smart; and what criteria are used to determine such designation.

Adam Ingram: The UK's understanding of so-called 'dumb' cluster munitions, are those containing numerous sub-munitions, each with an explosive content but without either a target discrimination or self-destruct, self-neutralization or self-deactivation function. As stated in the written ministerial statement on 20 March 2007,  Official Report, column 36WS, by my hon. Friend the Defence Secretary, the two systems that met this definition, the RBL-755 and MLRS M26, have now been withdrawn from service. We retain our other cluster munition, the 'non-dumb' ERBS L20A1 M85.

Defence Storage and Distribution Agency

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the estimated cost is of centralising the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency at Donnington and Bicester; and what the projected annual effect on costs is following the closure of eight regional distribution centres;
	(2)  what the estimated cost is of closing the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency site at Colchester; and what the projected annual effect on costs is following its closure.

Adam Ingram: The estimated cost to close eight Regional Distribution Centres (RDCs) and centralise transport operations mainly at Bicester and Donnington is 512,000, plus an amount for any compulsory redundancy payments that might prove necessary where affected staff cannot be redeployed.
	The projected annual cost saving of closing the eight RDC's is 2.44 million.
	The costs of closure of the Colchester RDC will arise mainly from redundancy payments should they be required. There may also be some minimal costs associated with relocating vehicles and mechanical handling equipment. The annual cost saving after closing the Colchester RDC will be 260,000 per year.

Defence Storage and Distribution Agency

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff will be made redundant when the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency site at Colchester closes; and what action he is taking to provide alternative employment at the Colchester Garrison for those staff who do not seek voluntary redundancy.

Adam Ingram: There are now 15 permanent Defence Storage and Distribution Agency (DSDA) staff based at Colchester potentially affected by the proposals to close the Regional Distribution Centre, however this is still subject to TU Consultation. The Future Defence Supply Chain initiative announcement in July 2005 stated that 12 posts would be lost.
	DSDA is actively engaging with the Colchester Garrison and other local government establishments, to identify possible posts within their organisations for DSDA staff not wishing to seek voluntary redundancy. A preference exercise will identify individuals wishing to secure early release and voluntary redundancy, with compulsory redundancy being the last option.

Defence Storage and Distribution Agency

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency site at Colchester to close.

Adam Ingram: The closure of the Regional Distribution Centre at Colchester is projected to be complete by April 2008. However, the decision is still subject to TU Consultation and final ministerial endorsement.

Defence: Procurement

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what military equipment was purchased off-the-shelf from non-UK suppliers in each year since 1997; and what the cost was of each purchase.

Adam Ingram: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departments: BAE Systems

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the total cost to the public purse was of each of the contracts between BAe Systems and his Department in each of the last five years;
	(2)  which defence procurement contracts are in place between his Department and BAe Systems;
	(3)  what the value is of each defence procurement contracts in place between his Department and BAe Systems.

Adam Ingram: Central records indicate the Ministry of Defence currently has some 785 separate direct contracts in place with BAE Systems. These are listed in an extensive table which I have placed in the Library of the House. The number excludes small-value local purchase orders, contracts placed on behalf of other nations and other Government departments and those where BAE Systems is a subcontractor or a member of an industry consortium. The approximate value of each contract is indicated in the table placed in the Library by reference to a value band.
	The combined value of the 785 contracts, as at 8 June 2007, was some 24,893 million. I am withholding the precise value of individual contracts and the total cost to the public purse as its release would, or would be likely to, prejudice commercial interests. The scale of total payments made to major BAE Systems divisions over the past five financial years on all direct contracts, as published by the Defence Analytical Services Agency, is shown in the table.
	
		
			   million 
			  Organisation  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 BAE Systems (Defence Systems) Ltd 50-100 25-50 25-50 25-50 10-25 
			 BAE Systems (Land and Sea Systems) Ltd 10-25 
			 BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd 250 500 500 500 500 
			 BAE Systems Defence Ltd 25-50  5-10 5-10 5-10 
			 BAE Systems Electronics Ltd 250 500 500 500 500 
			 BAE Systems Integrated System Technologies Ltd 100-250 
			 BAE Systems Land Systems (Munitions and Ordnance) Ltd100-250 100-250 
			 BAE Systems Land Systems (Weapons and Vehicles) Ltd50-100 100-250 
			 BAE Systems Marine (YSL) Ltd 100-250 50-100 100-250 50-100 50-100 
			 BAE Systems PLC 5-10 100-250 100-250   
			 BAE Systems /Rockwell Collins Data Link Solutions LLC 5-10 
			 BAE Systems Avionics Ltd 100-250   100-250  
			 BAE Systems (Combat and Radar Systems) Ltd 25-50

Departments: ICT

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to assess the views of those responsible for using the defence information infrastructure system on the effectiveness and operability of the design; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The contract for DII(F) is based upon a user requirement document (URD) which corralled users' capability requirements for DII(F) from across all MOD's top level budgets. A systems requirement's document was produced from the URD, converting the users capability and performance requirements into a systems view of the overall requirement. MOD will then measure the performance of the delivered DII(F) solution against the performance conditions laid down in the URD to ensure it meets our requirements.
	User concerns are raised through the chain of command and top level budgets; those which cannot be resolved at lower levels are considered at the Joint User Working Group led at senior level by the DII programme director. There is a single point of contact which functions as the DII(F) help desk to support individual users' day-to-day operation of DII(F).

Departments: ICT

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the defence information infrastructure design system is  (a) operational and  (b) systems assured; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The operational status of DII(F) is declared on a site-by-site basis and is defined in terms of first user live. The first user of the DII(F) system went live on 31 January 2006.
	The DII(F) programme is being delivered in three contractual increments covering delivery of terminals and networking capability. It also involves a number of releases, which improve functionality via software tools and associated hardware.
	Each release is assured before it becomes operational. Assurance confirms that the solution satisfies functional requirementsthe user's needs; key performance indicatorsit runs the way it should and is reliable; service management requirementsit is supported adequately by help desks and similar services; it meets national security requirements.

Departments: Official Hospitality

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was spent on entertainment by the  (a) General Office Commanding Northern Ireland,  (b) Commander in Chief Land,  (c) General-Adjutant and  (d) Chief of the General Staff in 2006, broken down by event.

Derek Twigg: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 17 April 2007,  Official Report, column 535W, about how much was spent on entertainment by the Adjutant-General and the Chief of the General Staff in 2006.
	The details for General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland and Commander in Chief Land are as follows:
	The General Officer Commanding Northern Ireland incurred 3,758 of expenditure for official entertainment in 2006. The events were:
	
		
			  Date  Function  Event/reason  Cost () 
			 21 January Formal Dinner Unit Cohesiveness event. Civilian and military staff from throughout the Command 246 
			 2 February Formal Dinner Entertainment to foster Relationships within the wider community 186 
			 9 February Formal Dinner Visit by Brig Gibson, Dir CT and UK Ops , MOD 223 
			 13 May Informal Dinner/Supper Unit Cohesion event. Civilian and military staff from throughout the Command 60 
			 15-18 May Informal Dinner/Supper Visit by GOC NI (designate) 76 
			 18 May Formal Dinner Entertainment to foster Relationships within the wider community 163 
			 1 August Formal Dinner Unit Cohesiveness event. Civilian and military staff from throughout the Command 62 
			 11 September Formal Dinner Entertainment to foster Relationships within the wider community 262 
			 19 September Formal Dinner Entertainment to foster Relationships within the wider community 303 
			 17 October Formal Dinner Entertainment to foster Relationships within the wider community 302 
			 24 October Formal Dinner Entertainment to foster Relationships within the wider community 216 
			 7 November Formal Lunch Unit Cohesiveness event. Civilian and military staff from throughout the Command 67 
			 13 November Formal Dinner Visit by Assistant Chief General Staff and Chief of Staff Land 604 
			 21 November Formal Dinner Entertainment to foster Relationships within the wider community 269 
			 23 November Informal Dinner/Supper Visit by Maj Gen Mark Mans, Deputy Adjutant General 154 
			 6 December Formal Dinner Entertainment to foster Relationships within the wider community 276 
			 19 December Reception Unit Cohesiveness event. Civilian and military staff from throughout the Command 289 
			 Total   3,758 
		
	
	The Commander in Chief Land Command incurred 3,581 of expenditure for official entertainment in 2006. The events were.
	
		
			  Date  Function  Event/reason  Cost () 
			 25 January Formal Dinner Hosting visit by UK Dignitaries 287 
			 5 March Formal Dinner Hosting visit by UK Dignitaries 346 
			 6 March Restaurant Hosting Foreign Visitor 137 
			 21 March Formal Dinner Unit Cohesiveness 343 
			 4 April Formal Dinner Hosting Visit by UK Dignitaries 280 
			 18 April Formal Dinner Unit Cohesiveness 237 
			 18 May Formal Dinner Entertainment to Foster Relationships with Wider Community 338 
			 23 May Formal Dinner Unit Cohesiveness 207 
			 10 June Formal Dinner Hosting UK Officials 101 
			 17 June Formal Lunch Hosting prominent members of the civilian community 609 
			 18 July Formal Dinner Hosting Visit by Overseas Dignitaries 244 
			 20 July Formal Dinner Hosting Visit by Overseas Dignitaries 167 
			 14 November Formal Dinner Visit of Spanish Commander in Chief 263 
			 15 November Bed and Breakfast Hosting Spanish Commander in Chief 13 
			 12 December Bed and Breakfast 2 x Senior officers stayed at CinC residence overnight to attend CGS conference 9 
			 Total   3,581

Departments: Official Residences

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the official ministerial residences allocated to Ministers in his Department; and what the total annual cost is of running each.

Derek Twigg: No Ministers in the Ministry of Defence are allocated a ministerial residence.

Departments: Property

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much was received by his Department from the letting of its properties in each of the last five years.

Derek Twigg: Rental income from external customers is disclosed separately in the Departmental Resource Accounts which have been laid before the House of Commons. A copy of the accounts for each year is available in the Library of the House.
	In addition the Department receives income from service personnel for the occupation of both single living and families accommodation. Although readily available only for the last three years, income in respect of Service Families Accommodation was as follows:
	
		
			  Financial Year  Income () 
			 2003-04 170,894,000 
			 2004-05 178,321,000 
			 2005-06 180,779,000 
		
	
	With effect from 2005-06 these amounts are disclosed separately in the accounts.
	Income from Single Living Accommodation was not, until 2006-07, held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The 2006-07 Departmental Resource Accounts are currently being audited by the National Audit Office and, following presentation to Parliament, a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.

Firearms: Training

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact on marksmanship of the cancellation of all Division Skill at Arms Meetings until further notice.

Adam Ingram: While the cancellation of Divisional Skill at Arms Meetings will have some impact, shooting competitions will continue to run at unit and Brigade level. This complies with new army shooting policy; shooting remains a critical skill and the cancellation of Divisional Level meetings will not affect TA operational capability.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many  (a) suicides and  (b) attempted suicides there have been of members of HM armed forces (i) while serving in and (ii) after returning from service in (A) Iraq and (B) Afghanistan.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence has centrally compiled and verified records of coroner-confirmed suicides or open verdict deaths among UK regular Service personnel up to 31 December 2006.
	
		
			  Table: Number of suicides of UK armed forces 
			  Theatre of operation  Dates  On deployment  Post- deployment 
			 Iraq 18 January 2003 to 31 December 2006 (1)5 16 
			 Afghanistan 7 October 2001 to 31 December 2006 1  
			 Afghanistan 15 October 2005 to 31 December 2006  (2)1 
			 (1 )One suicide in 2005 involved a reservist serving in Iraq.  (2) Follow-up records of personnel who were deployed to Afghanistan are not currently available for the period before 15 October 2005. 
		
	
	The figures provided do not include any violent or unnatural deaths that have not yet been fully investigated by the coroner.
	Centralised records for acts of deliberate self-harm (including attempted suicide) for the UK armed forces are not available.

Iraq: Peace Keeping Operations

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make an assessment of the adequacy of medical supplies and resources to armed forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Derek Twigg: There are presently no known shortfalls in the provision of medical equipment or materiel to deployed UK forces in Iraq or Afghanistan. Medical equipment and supplies are deployed in the quantities requested by operational commanders to support their deployed requirement. Medical capability is continually reviewed by Defence Consultant Advisers to ensure medical equipment and capability delivers optimal clinical care, embracing best practice, wherever possible.

Lynx Helicopters

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy not to use Lynx helicopters which have not been fitted with  (a) the latest generation defensive aids suite and  (b) infra red jamming device in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 17 May 2007,  Official Report, columns 840-45W.

Marines: Reserve Forces

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) establishment and  (b) strength is of the Royal Marine Reserve, broken down by (i) trained and (ii) untrained strength.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 14 June 2007
	The Royal Marine Reserve (RMR) Establishment total is 990, including trained strength (594) and untrained strength (396).
	RMR current strengths (May 2007) is 792 in total, with a trained strength of 491 and 301 untrained strength (this does not include 42 ranks on Full Time Reserve Service).

Military Aircraft: Collections

Lee Scott: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how many former military  (a) fixed wing aircraft and  (b) helicopters were (i) given and (ii) sold to military museums and collections (A) in the UK and (B) overseas in the last three years for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many former military  (a) fixed wing aircraft and  (b) helicopters were sold to (i) private individuals and (ii) companies (A) in the UK and (B) overseas in the last three years for which figures are available.

Adam Ingram: 11 fixed wing and one rotary wing aircraft have been gifted to UK museums and collections in the last three years. One fixed wing aircraft has been gifted to an overseas museum in the same period.
	Over the last three years, 97 fixed wing, and 19 rotary wing aircraft have been sold in the UK, and one fixed wing aircraft has been sold overseas. It is not possible to provide a complete breakdown of the sales to private individuals, companies, museums and collections, as the records do not include this detail. These sales figures do not include aircraft sold as scrap.

Military Aircraft: Peace Keeping Operations

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the new MRA4 plane will be in service; how much it will cost; and whether it will be equipped to undertake the function that MR2 Nimrods are performing in the Gulf and Afghanistan.

Adam Ingram: The planned in service date for the Nimrod MRA4 aircraft is currently 2010 and the total forecast procurement cost is 3.5 billion. The aircraft will be capable of being equipped to undertake the function that the Nimrod MR2 is currently performing in the Gulf and Afghanistan, if required, when it enters service.

Navy: Reserve Forces

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the Royal Navy Reserves has been deployed in the last five years.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 14 June 2007
	Some 26 per cent. of the Trained Strength of the Royal Navy Reserves (RNR) has seen mobilised deployed service in the last five years.
	This figure refers to RNR only and does not include any Royal Marines Reserve.

Navy: Reserve Forces

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the strength is of  (a) officers and  (b) ratings of the Royal Navy Reserve, broken down by branch.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 14 June 2007
	The Royal Navy Reserve (RNR) Officers Total strength (including Untrained strength (UTS)) is 935. The Branch breakdown is as follows:
	
		
			  Branch/Specialisation  Total 
			  Maritime Operations  
			 Logistics 47 
			 Submariner 54 
			 Command Support (Officers) 100 
			 Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) 13 
			 Information Ops 38 
			 Operational Intelligence 40 
			 Computers and Information Systems 17 
			 Amphibious Warfare 80 
			 Mine Warfare 70 
			 Mine Warfare and Clearance Divers 5 
			 Media Operations 64 
			   
			  Medical  
			 Medical Officers 48 
			 Medical Support Officers 0 
			 QARNNS (Queen Alexandra Royal Naval Nursing Service) Officers 22 
			   
			 Air 170 
			 Defence Intelligence 39 
			 Human Intelligence 28 
			 Chaplains 2 
			 Junior Officers 95 
			 General Appointments 3 
			 Total 935 
		
	
	The RNR Ratings total strength (including UTS) is 1,273. The Branch breakdown is as follows.
	
		
			  Branch/Specialisation  Total 
			  Maritime Operations  
			 Logistics 147 
			 Command Support 132 
			 Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) 1 
			 Communications (Submarine) 48 
			 Communications Technician 3 
			 Computers and Information Systems 96 
			 General Service Seaman Rating 448 
			 Clearance Divers 9 
			 Operational Communications 0 
			   
			  Medical  
			 Naval Nurse 18 
			 Medical Support Assistant 13 
			   
			 Air 182 
			 Human Intelligence 1 
			 Initial Training 175 
			 Total 1,273 
		
	
	These figures refer to RNR only and do not include any Royal Marines Reserve.

Navy: Reserve Forces

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the  (a) establishment and  (b) strength is of the Royal Navy Reserve, broken down by (i) trained strength, (ii) untrained strength and (iii) University Royal Navy units.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 14 June 2007
	The Royal Navy Reserve (RNR) Establishment total, including the Establishment Trained Requirement (1,720) and the Establishment Untrained Requirement (474) is 2,194
	The RNR current strengths, as of April 2007, is 2,208 with 1,736 trained and 476 untrained.
	The University Royal Navy units currently consist of 14 Units, 14 Ships and 714 personnel.
	These figures refer to RNR only and do not include any Royal Marines Reserve personnel.

Navy: Reserve Forces

Julian Brazier: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Navy reservists were deployed in each year since 2000-01, broken down by location.

Adam Ingram: holding answer 14 June 2007
	 The number of Royal Navy reservists deployed in each year since 2000-01, broken down by location, is as follows:
	
		
			  Location  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  Total 
			 Iraq 320 125 9 3 30 11 498 
			 Afghanistan 26 5 31 
			 Bosnia   1 1   2 
			 North East Africa 2 1 1 
			 Balkans  1 1 
			 Other   3 6  1 10 
			 Total 320 125 14 10 58 18 545 
		
	
	The figures are for trained strength and not total, and do not include Royal Marines Reserve or those on full-time reserve service.

Official Residences: Repairs and Maintenance

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what costs were incurred for maintenance at the official residence of the Chief of the General Staff in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what costs were incurred for maintenance at the official residence of the Adjutant General in each year since 1997;
	(3)  what costs were incurred for maintenance at the official residence of the Commander in Chief Land in each year since 1997.

Derek Twigg: Financial information relating to official service residences is retained for a period of seven years. The following table provides maintenance costs for the Chief of the General Staff (CGS), Commander-in-Chief Land (CinC) and the Adjutant-General's (AG) Official Service Residences from the financial year 1999-2000 to 2005-06:
	
		
			   
			   CGS  CinC  AG 
			 1999-2000 5,652 18,717 1,616 
			 2000-01 11,760 131,268 13,355 
			 2001-02 17,668 31,920 2,889 
			 2002-03 18,995 17,008 46,719 
			 2003-04 4,381 9,149 44,840 
			 2004-05 290 1,972 15,793 
			 2005-06 453 7,476 13,284

RAF Aldergrove

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of RAF Aldergrove in County Antrim.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement on 10 May 2006,  Official Report, columns 19-20WS, which outlined the future requirement for the defence estate in Northern Ireland once security normalisation is complete. This requirement includes RAF Aldergrove which currently houses the Joint Helicopter Force (Northern Ireland).

RAF News

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the publication RAF News.

Derek Twigg: There are no planned changes to the publication RAF News. However, the team is planned to relocate from RAF Innsworth to RAF High Wycombe later this year as part of the formation of Air Command. As with all publications, RAF News is routinely reviewed for relevance, style and content.

RAF News

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions  (a) he and  (b) other Ministers have had with the employees of the publication RAF News; and what the outcomes were.

Derek Twigg: There have been no discussions between Ministers and the employees of the publication RAF News.

RAF News

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people were employed by the publication RAF News in each of the last five years; and what the job title was of each.

Derek Twigg: Over the last five years the publication RAF News has had an establishment of six posts. The job titles are Editor, Deputy Editor/Chief Sub Editor, Sub Editor, Reporter, Business Manager, and Office Manager.

RAF News

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department has allocated to spend on the publication RAF News in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) each of the last five years.

Derek Twigg: The publication RAF News was allocated 153,000 for financial year 2007-08. In previous years, the allocation was 149,000 in FY 2006-07, and 144,000 in FY 2005-06. These allocations are net of target income from sales of the publication.
	I will write to the hon. Member with any available information prior to 2005-06 and place a copy of my letter in the Library of the House.

Reserve Forces

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact of the decision to cancel one exercise executive stretch in financial year 2007-08 and one in financial year 2008-09 on employer support for the Territorial Army.

Adam Ingram: The decision to postpone a number of executive stretch exercises is not judged likely to have a significant effect on employer support for the Army, although we recognise that this has caused some inconvenience and adverse reaction in those regions affected. Those affected by these postponements may be able to participate in other executive stretch exercises being run in adjoining regions, should there be spare capacity.

Reserve Forces

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact of  (a) the decision to delay until 1 April 2009 the establishment of the Territorial Army units (i) 2nd Sqn, 6 AAC (V), (ii) 24 Sqn, 71 Regt RE (V), (iii) 129 Sqn, 73 Regt RE (V) and (iv) 280 Sqn, 162 MC Regt RLC (V) and  (b) the delay in the development of further capability before 1 April 2009 of (A) 155 Tpt Regt RLC (V) and (B) 381 Med Sp Sqn, 166 Sup Regt RLC (V).

Adam Ingram: The decision to delay the establishment and development of further capability of those TA units listed is not expected to have an effect on the TA's ability to reach Full Operational Capability under Future Army Structures in line with my statement on TA rebalancing on 23 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 427-28.

Reserve Forces: Recruitment

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact of the decision to stop recruiting in Territorial Army units that are not making a significant contribution to operations in financial year 2007-08 on  (a) unit manning levels and  (b) unit effectiveness.

Adam Ingram: It is fully recognised that ceasing recruitment in selected TA units for one year will have an effect on the TA's ability to develop operational capability in the short term; both in term of manning levels and unit effectiveness. Work is continuing to ensure that mitigating strategies can be put in place if required.

Reserve Forces: Training

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the impact on training of Territorial Army personnel of  (a) the cancellation of the Nijmegan marches and  (b) the removal of any Territorial Army participation in the Cambrian Patrol in financial year 2008-09.

Adam Ingram: We recognise that participation in both these events is important to members of the TA. Competitions that make a more direct contribution to the development of operational capability will continue to run.

Submarines: Manpower

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Royal Navy are currently serving on board a submarine, broken down by rank.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 18 June 2007
	At 1 October 2006, the total number of naval personnel assigned to submarines was 2,450. The following table shows the split by rank.
	
		
			  Paid rank  Total 
			  Officer  
			 OF-5-Captain (1) 
			 OF-4-Commander 20 
			 OF-3-Lieutenant Commander 80 
			 OF-2-Lieutenant 180 
			 OF-1-Sub Lieutenant (1) 
			 Officer total 280 
			   
			  Rank  
			 OR-9-Warrant Officer Class 1 10 
			 OR-8-Warrant Officer Class 2 110 
			 OR-7-Chief Petty Officer 430 
			 OR-6-Petty Officer 370 
			 OR-4-Leading Hand 410 
			 OR-2-Able Seaman 850 
			 Rank total 2,170 
			   
			 Total 2,450 
			 (1) Denotes rounded to zero. 
		
	
	Due to the introduction of a new Personnel Administration System (JPA) in October 2006, Navy location data from October 2006 are not yet available for publication. However initial investigations into JPA data suggest the total figure for April 2007 to be similar to the total figure provided.

Submarines: Pay

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the rate of submarine pay is for each rank.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 18 June 2007
	Daily rates of submarine pay effective from 1 April 2007 are:
	
		
			 
			 Level 1 Payable on qualification 11.27 
			 Level 2 Payable after five years on level 1 14.64 
			 Level 3 Payable after five years on level 2 17.46 
			 Level 4 Payable after five years on level 3 19.72 
			 Level 5 Payable to officers qualifying advanced warfare course or in charge qualified positions 24.79 
			  Note:  Levels 1 to 4 are paid to officers and other ranks and level 5 to officers only. 
		
	
	Further details are contained in the 2007 Armed Forces' Pay Review Body report, a copy of which is held in the Library of the House.

Submarines: Pay

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Royal Navy are in receipt of submarine pay, broken down by rank.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 18 June 2007
	As at 15 June 2007 the number of Royal Navy personnel in receipt of submarine pay by rank is:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Captain 30 
			 Commander 166 
			 Lieutenant Commander 342 
			 Lieutenant 385 
			 Sub Lieutenant 9 
			 Warrant Officer 1 134 
			 Warrant Officer 2 202 
			 Chief Petty Officer 831 
			 Petty Officer 664 
			 Leading Hand 623 
			 Able Seaman 884 
			 Total 4,270

Territorial Army

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what  (a) recruiting,  (b) training,  (c) capability and  (d) other activities are expected to be reduced to deliver the planned reduction in funding for the Territorial Army in financial years (i) 2007-08 and (ii) 2008-09;
	(2)  what representations he has received regarding the planned reduction in funding of the Territorial Army in years 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Adam Ingram: holding answer s  15 June 2007
	A number of measures will be implemented in order to deliver the reduction in funding for the Territorial Army (TA) over the next two financial years. Recruiting for those TA units that are not contributing to, or have not contributed significantly to current overseas operations will cease for one year. Work is still ongoing to determine which units will be affected by this measure. The creation of a small number of the new units that have been planned under future army structures (Territorial Army) and the recruitment of a small number of non-regular permanent staff for new support roles within TA units will be delayed. There will also be a number of reductions in TA activities not directly related to the delivery of operational capability, including a reduction in the number and frequency of TA competitions, a reduction in TA support to employers' events and the cancellation of annual TA conferences.
	Ministers have received no representations regarding the planned reduction in funding of the Territorial Army in years 2007-08 and 2008-09.

Terry Lloyd

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what  (a) correspondence and  (b) discussions his Department has had in response to the finding of the coroner in October 2006 that ITN correspondent Terry Lloyd was killed unlawfully; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: As a UK civilian killed abroad, the responsibility for progressing Mr. Lloyd's case was taken up by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Attorney-General's Office.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Anti-Semitism

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect of the activity of extremist imams and radical islamists on the incidence of anti-Semitic attacks in the UK.

Phil Woolas: I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government does not carry out assessments on the effect of the activity of extremist imams and radical islamists on the incidence of anti-semitic attacks in the UK. However, these issues are a matter for the police both in their assessment of risk in communities and in tackling individuals that break the law.

Biometrics: Databases

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many records are held on the National DNA database, broken down by reason for their inclusion; and how many of those records are of individuals who (i) were not charged and (ii) were charged and found not guilty of an offence.

Joan Ryan: As of 10 June 2007, there were an estimated 3,976,090 individuals on the National DNA Database (NDNAD).
	The purpose of the National DNA Database is to hold a record of a person's DNA which can be matched against DNA taken from crime scenes. It does not hold data on arrests, charges and convictionsthat is held on the police national computer (PNC). Current information on the number of individuals who were not charged, or charged and not found guilty, could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by cross-searching the NDNAD profiles against records held on PNC.
	However, information is available from a cross-searching exercise carried out on the police national computer on 14 July 2006. This showed that at that date, 79.3 per cent. of those on the NDNAD who also had an entry on PNC had a conviction or a caution (ie a criminal record). The remaining 20.7 per cent. are persons who have been arrested for a recordable offence where no further action was taken; persons who have been charged with a recordable offence where proceedings are ongoing; and persons under 18 who have a formal warning or reprimand recorded on PNC.

Crime Prevention

Graham Allen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress since his meeting with the hon. Member for Nottingham North and George Hosking of Wave Research on 6 December 2006 regarding crime prevention and early intervention.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office is supportive of the early intervention work my hon. Friend and others are taking forward in Nottingham. However, regretfully we are unable to provide direct funding for his proposals at this time.
	The Government are already doing a great deal to support similar activity through the Respect and the Social Exclusion Action Plans, including strands led by the DfES and the YJB. Nottingham has benefited significantly from this, and it is likely that there will also be further opportunities to bid for other funding to support this work in Nottingham in due course.

Crimes of Violence: Sussex

Nigel Waterson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reduce levels of violent crime in Sussex police authority area.

Vernon Coaker: The Government are currently taking forward a wide range of work which will continue to reduce violent crime. We have, for example, recently passed the Violent Crime Reduction Act, which gives the police and local communities the powers they need to tackle guns, knives and alcohol-related violence.
	There are currently a number of violent crime operations being taken forward in Sussex, including: Operation Jardon, tackling football-related crime, and based on experience from the 2004 Euro Championshippenalties are used for anyone drunk and behaving in an antisocial manner, and for licensees serving alcohol to drunk and underage customers; and Operation Columbus, designed to ensure the safety and wellbeing of visiting international language students. Across East and West Sussex, a range of activities have been implemented in support of District Plans, such as CCTV in taxis in Eastbourne. Specifically in Brighton, a number of successful projects, including the Safe Haven project, have been taken forward in conjunction with the Centre for Public Innovation. Brighton hopes to repeat this particular experience this summer.
	Domestic violence is also a priority. The WORTH project provides immediate support to people experiencing domestic violence. Hospital staff in AE and midwifery are fully trained, and a team of fully trained caseworkers respond immediately to victims needing help. An Individual Support Programme for children (WISP) has also been successfully introduced. A pilot project is also under way, introducing a routine enquiry process about DV to GP surgeries and sexual health clinics. Work to introduce specialist domestic violence courts in Sussex continues. And Sussex police are currently seeking to bring the National Centre for Domestic Violence charity to Sussex. This charity works to deliver, on a next-day basis, the protection of civil orders to victims of domestic violence without any charge to the service or the victim.
	Sussex police have been engaging with other partner agencies in introducing updated child protection and safeguarding procedures for Sussex. They are working with the East Sussex, West Sussex and Brighton and Hove city council local Safeguarding Children Boards, which provide information, advice and guidance for all professionals working in child protection. East Sussex is also one of the eight pilot counties for the development of Child Death Review Panels.
	Neighbourhood policing across Sussex is continuing to develop, and practitioners are working up increasingly sophisticated strategies to engage with, and meet the needs of, local communities. Problem-solving with partners is becoming further established, with good use being made of analytical products to identify crime and incident hotspots. And improving community consultation is enabling neighbourhood specialist teams to tackle the problems of most concern to communities.

Crimes of Violence: West Midlands

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to reduce levels of violent crime in the West Midlands police authority area.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 23 May 2007
	The Government are currently taking forward a wide range of work which will continue to reduce violent crime. We have, for example, recently passed the Violent Crime Reduction Act, which gives the police and local communities the powers they need to tackle guns, knives and alcohol-related violence.
	Domestic violence is a particular priority. In December 2006, it was announced that Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell (Warley and West Bromwich magistrates courts), Solihull and Walsall (Walsall and Aldridge magistrates courts) had been selected as Specialist Domestic Violence Court areas. These specialist courts promote a joint approach to tackling domestic violence, with the police, crown prosecutors, magistrates, courts and the probation service working together with specialist support services for victims. Agencies collectively identify, track and risk assess domestic violence cases, and better share information so that more offenders are brought to justice, victims are protected and better supported, and further violence is prevented.
	The Government, through the Government office for the west midlands, supports key partners in the statutory and voluntary sector in tackling gun crime and gang-related violence. For example, Birmingham Reducing Gang Violence has continued to be a focal point for activities and partnership work to reduce gun crime. It is chaired by the West Midlands police, and supported by a range of agencies and voluntary sector groups, including Birmingham city council, West Midlands Probation, Victim Support, Increase the Peace UK, Mothers in Pain and Street Pastors.
	The West Midlands is also well represented in the Tackling Violent Crime Programme, through which the Home Office works intensively with practitioners in local areas with high levels of more serious violent crime, to support their efforts to reduce, in particular, alcohol-related crime and domestic violence, to improve police and other agencies' performance and partnership working, and to improve local strategies. Currently four West Midlands police basic command units are funded to utilise a variety of interventions, including the greater use of fixed penalty notices for alcohol-related offences, routine visits to hotspot licensed premises, and the use of bus and taxi marshals at peak times.
	West Midlands police have also been particularly active over the past 12 months in addressing robbery. Three of the 28 areas nationally which became subject to special focus during the recent Robbery Initiative are in the West Midlands (Solihull, Wolverhampton and Coventry). These areas were required to produce an action plan, which would produce long-term, sustainable interventions and not rely purely on short-term police activity to yield short-term results.

Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994: Greater London

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many orders under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 were made in London in each of the last five years; which officer signed each order; what locality was specified by each order; and for what duration the order was enforced.

Vernon Coaker: The Home Office does not hold the information requested about authorisations of the use of powers under section 60 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. An authorisation is an operational matter for the police and I have therefore asked the Metropolitan Police Service to collate the information for me. I shall write to the hon. Member when that information is available.

Driving Offences: Insurance

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the police on the trend in incidences of staged and induced motor accident fraud along the M1 corridor;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Insurance Fraud Bureau on the subject of staged and induced motor accident fraud;
	(3)  what discussions he has had with the insurance industry on the subject of a national strategy to tackle staged and induced motor accidents.

Vernon Coaker: I have recently met with both Commissioner Bowron (City of London police) who is the ACPO lead for Economic Crime, and with representatives of the Association of British Insurers. At both of these meetings the issue of staged motor accident fraud was among the issues discussed.
	The recent cross-Whitehall review of fraud recommended in favour of a national strategy on fraud, overseen by a National Fraud Strategic Authority. The review and its recommendations was not specific to insurance fraud but a national strategy would cover this type of fraud. Work on the fraud review recommendations is being taken forward through an overall Programme Board and a number of working groups which will produce detailed business cases and costings for the various groups of recommendations. The Home Office and the Association of British Insurers are both involved in this process.

Driving Under Influence

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drink driving tests were carried out by each police force in 2005.

Vernon Coaker: The information available relates to screening breath tests and is contained in the annual publication, Mooring Offences and Breath Test Statistics, England and Wales, available in the Library and at www. homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pubsstatistical.html. The latest figures are for 2004; figures for 2005 will be available later in 2007.

Driving Under Influence

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) drivers,  (b) other road users and  (c) pedestrians were killed in crashes involving drivers who had exceeded the alcohol limit in each of the last 10 years.

Stephen Ladyman: I have been asked to reply.
	The available information is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Estimated number of fatalities from accidents involving illegal alcohol levels, by road user type: GB 1995 - 2004 
			  Estimated number of fatalities( 1) 
			   Car drivers over limit  Other car users( 2)  Pedestrians  Other road users( 3)  Total 
			 1995 230 180 30 100 540 
			 1996 270 180 40 90 580 
			 1997 240 160 30 120 550 
			 1998 200 130 40 90 460 
			 1999 230 130 20 80 460 
			 2000 250 150 30 100 530 
			 2001 260 130 40 100 530 
			 2002 290 130 20 100 550 
			 2003 260 160 30 120 580 
			 2004 280 140 30 120 580 
			 (1) Estimated figures are rounded to the nearest 10. (2) Includes all car passengers, and car drivers who were not over the limit. (3) Includes all road users except car occupants and pedestrians, including other motor vehicle drivers who were over the legal alcohol limit.

Drugs: Afghanistan

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what quantities of narcotics originating from Afghanistan were seized in transit by UK enforcement agencies in each of the last three years.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 15 June 2007
	Since 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007, the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) has, with other partner law enforcement agencies, been involved in the seizure of 1.5 tonnes of heroin. While the source country has not been established, we believe that 90 per cent. of all heroin reaching the UK originates from Afghanistan.

Human Trafficking

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of Operation Pentameter.

Vernon Coaker: The Government are currently conducting a research study into Operation Pentameter. The lessons learnt will inform future human trafficking operations.

Identity Cards

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent on  (a) the identity cards project in the 2006-07 financial year and  (b) external consultants working on the identity cards project.

Joan Ryan: Since the merger of the Home Office Identity Cards Programme and the UK Passport Service to create the Identity and Passport Service on 1 April 2006, projects to deliver biometric passports, identity cards and other improvements have been necessarily combined. As much of the functionality needed to implement identity cards is also required for the implementation of biometric passports, this is the most cost-effective way to deliver these initiatives (e.g. both the implementation of biometric passports and identity cards will require a very similar application procedure as well the procurement of biometric recording equipment, data storage capability for biographical and biometric information and offices to facilitate enrolment).
	As a result, much of the work conducted by Identity and Passport Service cannot be categorised, both financially and operationally, as contributing towards either the introduction of biometric passports or identity cards alone. The work is accounted for as future development projects.
	In the 2006-07 financial year, the cost of such development projects was 32.7 million. The cost of external consultancy and contracted staff, attributed to these projects for that year was 21.4 million.
	Even without the introduction of identity cards, a significant proportion of this expenditure would have been required in order to prepare for the introduction of second biometric passports. Overall, it is estimated that around 70 per cent. of the total cost of the scheme would need to be incurred in order to introduce the second biometric passport incorporating fingerprint biometrics.

Identity Cards

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has made an estimate of the cost to date of researching and developing the identity cards scheme.

Joan Ryan: Between the financial years 2003-04 and 2005-06, 41.1 million was spent by the Identity Cards Programme in total.
	Since the merger of the Home Office Identity Cards Programme and the UK Passport Service to create the Identity and Passport Service on 1 April 2006, projects to deliver biometric passports, identity cards and other improvements have been necessarily combined. As much of the functionality needed to implement identity cards is also required for the implementation of biometric passports, this is the most cost-effective way to deliver these initiatives (e.g. both the implementation of biometric passports and identity cards will require a very similar application procedure as well the procurement of biometric recording equipment, data storage capability for biographical and biometric information and offices to facilitate enrolment).
	As a result, much of the work conducted by Identity and Passport Service cannot be categorised, both financially and operationally, as contributing towards either the introduction of biometric passports or identity cards alone. The work is accounted for as future development projects. In the 2006-07 financial year, the cost of such development projects was 32.7 million.
	Even without the introduction of identity cards, a significant proportion of this expenditure would have been required in order to prepare for the introduction of second biometric passports. Overall, it is estimated that around 70 per cent. of the total cost of the scheme would need to be incurred in order to introduce the second biometric passport incorporating fingerprint biometrics.

Identity Cards

Mark Francois: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the second report on the cost of the identity cards scheme, how much his Department has spent in total on the scheme from its inception until 10 May 2007, broken down by  (a) consultancy fees,  (b) IT costs,  (c) polling or opinion research and  (d) other costs.

Joan Ryan: holding answer 4 June 2007
	Between the financial years 2003-04 and 2005-06, 41.1 million was spent by the Identity Cards Programme in total.
	Of this expenditure, 31.6 million was spent on consulting and contracting services and 180,000 was spent on polling and opinion research. A further 180,000 was spent on specific IT software packages, although this figure excludes the cost of running standard hardware and software applications for desktop computers.
	Since the merger of the Home Office Identity Cards Programme and the UK Passport Service to create the Identity and Passport Service on 1 April 2006, projects to deliver biometric passports, identity cards and other improvements have been necessarily combined. As much of the functionality needed to implement identity cards is also required for the implementation of biometric passports, this is the most cost-effective way to deliver these initiatives (e.g. both the implementation of biometric passports and identity cards will require a very similar application procedure as well as the procurement of biometric recording equipment, data storage capability for biographical and biometric information and offices to facilitate enrolment).
	As a result, much of the work conducted by Identity and Passport Service cannot be categorised, both financially and operationally, as contributing towards either the introduction of biometric passports or identity cards alone. The work is accounted for as future development projects. In the 2006-07 financial year, the cost of such development projects was 32.7 million.
	Even without the introduction of identity cards, a significant proportion of this expenditure would have been required in order to prepare for the introduction of second biometric passports. Overall, it is estimated that around 70 per cent. of the total cost of the scheme would need to be incurred in order to introduce the second biometric passport incorporating fingerprint biometrics.
	The cost of external consultancy and contracted staff allocated to these projects for that year was 21.4 million, while IT costs allocated to these projects for that year total 1 million.
	As contracts relating to opinion polling and research are based around providing services to projects or activities which can apply to both existing passport operational business as well as the future development of biometric passports, identity cards and future improvements, it is not possible to disaggregate the specific cost of opinion polling and research for the ID cards scheme. However, the total expenditure on all communications activities attributed to the budgets of projects for the future development of biometric passports, identity cards and associated initiatives was 145,000.

Identity Cards

Richard Younger-Ross: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what range of services  (a) non-EU nationals and  (b) UK residents will be able only to access by carrying their identity card with them.

Joan Ryan: Producing an identity card is likely to be the most convenient method of proving identity when accessing any public or private sector services. However, unless and until the specific requirements in section 16 of the Identity Cards Act are met, it will continue to be possible for individuals to use reasonable alternative methods of establishing their identity.

Identity Cards: Expenditure

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent on the identity cards scheme; what projections he has made of future costs; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ryan: Between the financial years 2003-04 and 2005-06, 41.1 million was spent by the Identity Cards Programme in total.
	Since the merger of the Home Office Identity Cards Programme and the UK Passport Service to create the Identity and Passport Service on 1 April 2006, projects to deliver biometric passports, identity cards and other improvements have been necessarily combined. As much of the functionality needed to implement identity cards is also required for the implementation of biometric passports, this is the most cost-effective way to deliver these initiatives (e.g. both the implementation of biometric passports and identity cards will require a very similar application procedure as well the procurement of biometric recording equipment, data storage capability for biographical and biometric information and offices to facilitate enrolment).
	As a result, much of the work conducted by Identity and Passport Service cannot be categorised, both financially and operationally, as contributing towards either the introduction of biometric passports or identity cards alone. The work is accounted for as future development projects. In the 2006-07 financial year, the cost of such development projects was 32.7 million.
	With regard to future costs, the Identity and Passport Service Business Plan, published in April 2007, indicates that the organisation plans to spend 473 million in the coming year. The estimate of expenditure relating to resource and capital expenditure for the introduction of second biometric passports incorporating fingerprint biometrics, identity cards and associated developments is 80 million.
	Even without the introduction of identity cards, a significant proportion of this expenditure would have been required in order to prepare for the introduction of second biometric passports. Overall, it is estimated that around 70 per cent. of the total cost of the scheme would need to be incurred in order to introduce the second biometric passport incorporating fingerprint biometrics.
	In addition, section 37 of the Identity Cards Act 2006 requires the Secretary of State to lay a report before Parliament every six months which details an updated figure for the cost of the National Identity Scheme over the following ten years. The latest cost report was laid before Parliament on 10 May 2007,  Official Report, column 24WS and can be found at:
	http://www.identitycards.gov.uk/downloads/2007-05-10CostReport.pdf

Immigrants: Detention Centres

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of  (a) attempted suicide and  (b) self-harm have been recorded in immigration detention centres in each of the last 12 months.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 26 March 2007
	We keep records of self-harm incidents which require some form of medical treatment but we are unable to determine whether any of these incidents are actual incidents of attempted suicide. Cases reported each month for the period May 2006 to April 2007 are reproduced in the following table.
	
		
			  Self-harm statistics: Number of individuals on formal self-harm at risk 
			   2006 
			  Removal centre  May  June  July  August  September  October  November  December 
			 Campsfield 1 4 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Colnbrook 10 9 7 5 4 5 7 12 
			 Dover 4 3 5 0 2 2 11 6 
			 Dungavel 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Harmondsworth 0 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 
			 Haslar 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Lindholme 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 
			 Oakington 1 0 0 2 2 2 0 0 
			 Tinsley House 0 2 n/a 2 0 0 0 0 
			 Yarl's Wood 0 5 4 2 0 0 0 2 
			 Total 16 24 18 11 12 10 19 22 
		
	
	
		
			   2007 
			  Removal centre  January  February  March  April 
			 Campsfield 1 1 0 0 
			 Colnbrook 12 3 6 7 
			 Dover 4 2 3 5 
			 Dungavel 0 0 0 0 
			 Harmondsworth 1 0 0 0 
			 Haslar 0 0 0 0 
			 Lindholme 0 0 0 0 
			 Oakington 1 1 1 1 
			 Tinsley House 0 0 0 0 
			 Yarl's Wood 1 1 5 1 
			 Total 20 8 15 14

Offenders: Deportation

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what factors are taken into account in making decisions on whether to return Algerian national prisoners held in UK prisons to Algeria.

Liam Byrne: Algerian nationals are treated in the same way as other non-EEA foreign nationals who have committed crimes within the United Kingdom and received custodial sentences or been court recommended for deportation.
	Current guidance on consideration of deportation is publicly available and may be found on the Border and Immigration Agency website.

Security: Heathrow Airport

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 27 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1455W, on security: Heathrow airport, when the summary of the evaluation of the miSense schemes was placed in the Library.

Liam Byrne: Further to the answer of 27 March, the summary of the evaluation of the miSense schemes is being written by BAA and is scheduled for completion in mid June. This will be placed in the House Library on completion.

Sexual Offences

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to ensure that there are adequate checks in place on sex offenders coming into the UK from the European Union.

Joan Ryan: The United Kingdom is actively involved in negotiations in the European Union to improve information sharing on sex offenders.
	Last November, we established a formal arrangement with the Republic of Ireland which means that information on sex offenders travelling between the two countries is exchanged between UK and Irish police. This arrangement is the first of its kind and we hope it will be used as an example to encourage similar arrangements with other countries.
	The UK has also played an active role in progressing work on the EU draft framework decision on the mutual recognition of disqualifications imposed on sex offenders. This work is still ongoing. Negotiations are also under way on a framework decision to allow for quicker and better exchange of information on criminal convictions, including disqualifications arising from convictions.
	Arriving passengers are also routinely checked against the immigration watch list and the Police National Computer (PNC) database as necessary.

Speed Limits: Cameras

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the  (a) reliability and  (b) effectiveness of the LTI 2020 speed camera.

Vernon Coaker: The Secretary of State has type approved the LTI 20.20 for use by the police in the enforcement of speeding offences. Before approval is granted, a device is subjected to operational testing in the field and to tests by the HO Scientific Development Branch and independent test houses to ensure that it complies with the type approval requirements. I am satisfied that if used in accordance with the manufacturer's operating instructions and the code of practice drawn up by the Association of Chief Police Officers the LTI 20.20 will produce evidence that can safely be relied on in court.

Written Questions

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will answer question  (a) 129923 and  (b) 129924, on illegal firearms, tabled on 21 March 2007 by the hon. Member for Taunton; when he will answer question 134389 following up answers to these questions, tabled on 24 April 2007; and what the reasons are for the time taken to answer each question.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 4 June 2007
	For parliamentary questions 129923 and 129924, I replied to the hon. Member on 11 June 2007,  Official Report, column 891W.
	For parliamentary question 134389, I replied to the hon. Member on 15 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1401W.

Written Questions

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to question number 134214 on Home Office Reviews, tabled by the hon. Member for North West Cambridgeshire on 23 April 2007.

John Reid: I replied to the hon. Member on 18 June 2007,  Official Report, column 1507W.